Manila, Feb. 4 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is on Blue Alert status, with concerned regional offices monitoring developments as Tropical Depression Basyang approaches northeastern Mindanao.

"The DSWD is now on Blue Alert to monitor the approaching weather disturbance," Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We have already notified all DSWD Field Offices (FO) along the track of the tropical cyclone to monitor the situation and coordinate with concerned local government units (LGUs) to ensure that all preparedness for response measures is in place."

She assured that the DSWD is prepared to immediately distribute food items to LGUs that w...