DSWD to build command center

BAGUIO CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will establish a new Regional Disaster Response Command and Logistics Center for Central Luzon provinces within the Clark Civil Aviation Complex.

Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President Joseph P. Alcazar expressed full support for the DSWD facility, highlighting its critical role in strengthening disaster response across Central Luzon.

“It will serve as a strategic storage and distribution point for relief goods and supplies, ensuring faster and more effective DSWD operations during emergencies in Central Luzon. This is part of CIAC’s contribution to national disaster preparedness,” Mr. Alcazar said.

Officials led by DSWD Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian, Undersecretary Diana Rose S. Cajipe, Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao, and Clark Development Corp. Director Nicolette Henson-Hizon visited the one-hectare site on Wednesday with Pampanga Gov. Lilia G. Pineda, Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office Chief Art Punsalan, and CIAC Director Rommel Santiago.

It is located within the CIAC-managed Clark Civil Aviation Complex that will be designed to enable the rapid deployment of relief and response operations when disasters strike.

According to the CIAC, the center forms part of CIAC’s broader strategy to transform the Clark Civil Aviation Complex into a premier logistics hub.

Earlier initiatives have already paved the way for logistics facilities of other agencies, such as the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Pharma Procurement, Inc.

In addition to the upcoming DSWD center, Clark is also home to key national disaster management facilities, including the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation, the National Government Administrative Center, and the Integrated Operations Center for Disaster Response Management — underscoring Clark’s disaster-resilient features and strategic proximity to an international airport, seaport, and major road network. — Artemio A. Dumlao