MANILA - Amid consecutive tropical cyclones ravaging many parts of the country, the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Thursday reminded officials not to politicize their relief operations.

Despite 5 cyclones in just three weeks, the DSWD said they have enough stockpile of family food packs for calamity victims.

But the agency said the relief packs should not be used by local officials running in next year's elections. 

"Sa mga family food packs, hindi dapat hinahaluan ng ibang materials ang mga DSWD food packs," said Asec. Irene Dumlao, spokesperson and assistant secretary for Disaster Response and Management Group of DSWD. 

(Our family food packs should not be mixed with other materials.)

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This comes after previous reports that stickers bearing local officials' names and photos were attached to DSWD food packs during relief operations. 

"Bawal pangalan at pictures as long as released by DSWD, dapat wala po," said DSWD Strategic Communications OIC Lara Duran. 

(Attaching names and photos in relief packs distributed by DSWD is prohibited.) 

The DSWD said as part of protocol, they release all requested food packs to LGUs affected by typhoons, and it's the LGUs who distribute them to affected families. 

But Dumlao a DSWD social worker is always present during distributions of relief. 

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"We have existing guidelines and policies to insulate our programs from political interferences," Dumlao added. 

Dumlao said they have thousands of prepositioned food packs in several regions that might be affected by Typhoon Pepito. 

"Sa kasalukuyan, nasa 427,000 food packs ang stockpile. May mga nakarating na Isabela, may papunta na sa Quirino, at may additional food packs na dumating na sa Basco, Batanes," Dumlao said. 

(At present, we have 427,000 food packs in our stockpile. We have sent food packs to Isabela, to Quirino, and we have even sent food packs to Basco, Batanes.) 

The agency said food packs will reach last-mile communities in the regions.