On December 5, 2025, the Philippine government scrambled to bolster its disaster response as a new storm, Tropical Depression Wilma, threatened to heap more misery on communities already battered by a relentless string of typhoons and earthquakes. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in a move welcomed by local officials and residents alike, announced its gratitude to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for releasing a substantial ₱990 million in Quick Response Fund (QRF). This infusion of cash aims to replenish depleted relief supplies and support emergency cash transfers (ECT) for families left reeling by recent disasters.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, speaking at a media forum at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City, didn’t mince words about the urgency of the situation. “This will go to the continuous implementation of emergency cash transfers for those affected by the recent typhoons… specifically those affected by Tino and Uwan,” Dumlao said, as reported by The Chronicle. The department’s focus remains on areas most severely hit: Central Luzon, Calabarzon, the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, and Central Visayas. These regions are now at the epicenter of relief operations, with families anxiously awaiting both financial and material aid.
It’s not just the latest storms that have stretched the DSWD’s resources. The agency is also sustaining aid distribution to victims of earlier calamities, including Typhoons Opong (Bualoi) and Ramil (Fengshen), as well as those impacted by recent earthquakes in Northern Cebu and Davao Oriental. “The DSWD is prepared. We have 1.3 million family food packs prepositioned nationwide, and production continues at our Luzon and Visayas Disaster Resource Centers,” Dumlao assured the public, underscoring the scale of the agency’s logistical efforts.
But nature, it seems, refuses to give the Philippines a break. As DSWD teams rush to replenish stocks and distribute aid, the country’s weather bureau, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), issued a stern warning: Tropical Depression Wilma is on a collision course with the eastern Visayas or Dinagat Islands, expected to make its initial landfall on Friday evening or Saturday morning. As of 10:00 AM on December 5, Wilma was hovering 235 kilometers east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gusts up to 55 kilometers per hour. The storm was moving west-southwest at a steady 15 kilometers per hour, with its path set to traverse the Visayas through Sunday before emerging over the Sulu Sea and possibly passing over northern Palawan by Monday morning.
Pagasa noted that Wilma, the first tropical storm of December and the 23rd for 2025, would likely remain a tropical depression throughout its journey. The last time a storm named Wilma hit the country was in 2013. While Wilma’s winds are not expected to reach super typhoon levels, the persistent rains and the already saturated ground have authorities on high alert for landslides and flooding — hazards that have all too often proved deadly in the archipelago.
Indeed, the scars from recent disasters are still raw. In the mountainous Cordillera region, at least three people were confirmed dead and several others injured after landslides swept through the towns of Tinoc in Ifugao and Besao in Mountain Province. These landslides, triggered by days of heavy rain and strong winds courtesy of Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong), have blocked roads and isolated communities. The Cordillera office of the DSWD (DSWD-CAR) reported the fatalities earlier this week, identifying one victim as John Paul Herman Felix, a 30-year-old gardener from Diffun, Quirino, who lost his life in Tinoc. Authorities are still working to verify the identities of other casualties and to assess the full extent of the damage.
For many Filipinos, these scenes are heartbreakingly familiar. The Philippines sits squarely in the path of the Pacific typhoon belt, enduring an average of 20 storms annually. But 2025 has been particularly punishing, with 23 named storms already recorded and the year not yet over. Each new weather system tests the limits of the country’s disaster response infrastructure, as well as the resilience of communities that barely have time to recover before the next crisis strikes.
The government’s strategy relies heavily on prepositioned supplies and rapid cash assistance. The DSWD’s 1.3 million family food packs, stored at disaster resource centers across Luzon and Visayas, are the backbone of its relief efforts. These packs — containing rice, canned goods, and basic necessities — can be deployed quickly to evacuation centers and hard-hit neighborhoods. The emergency cash transfer program, meanwhile, is designed to give families the flexibility to meet urgent needs, whether that’s repairing a damaged roof, buying medicine, or simply putting food on the table.
Still, challenges abound. Access to remote areas, especially those cut off by landslides or flooding, remains a persistent headache for relief workers. Coordination between national and local agencies is crucial, as is real-time monitoring of developing weather systems. Dumlao emphasized that the DSWD is closely tracking the progress of Wilma and other potential threats, ready to mobilize aid at a moment’s notice.
In communities like Tinoc and Besao, the mood is a mix of grief, anxiety, and cautious hope. Residents mourn the lives lost and brace for the possibility of more storms, even as they welcome the government’s renewed commitment to disaster response. Local officials have echoed the DSWD’s call for vigilance, urging families in high-risk areas to heed evacuation orders and prepare for further disruptions.
The coming days will test the mettle of both government agencies and ordinary citizens. With Wilma’s arrival imminent and memories of Uwan’s devastation still fresh, the Philippines faces yet another round of hardship. Yet there’s a sense of determination, too — a refusal to be cowed by the caprices of nature. As Dumlao put it, “The DSWD is prepared.” For the millions of Filipinos in harm’s way, that promise offers a glimmer of reassurance amid the uncertainty.
As the country braces for Wilma and continues its recovery from a relentless parade of disasters, the spotlight remains on the effectiveness of the government’s response. With a replenished Quick Response Fund, prepositioned relief goods, and a commitment to rapid cash transfers, authorities hope to mitigate suffering and help communities rebuild — one family, one food pack, and one act of kindness at a time.
