The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured that it’s ready to respond to calamity victims as La Niña activity increases.
This follows the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to continue providing aid to families affected by disasters, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said in a news forum in Quezon City.
“(Sa) La Niña, nakahanda naman ang DSWD, because we still have more than 1.5 million family food packs, strategically prepositioned across the country,” according to Dumlao.
She also highlighted the agency’s ongoing relief efforts, particularly in response to recent typhoons.
DSWD would soon provide a full report on the total number of food packs distributed to affected communities, the DSWD official said.
Since the onset of super typhoons–from Carina to Pepito–DSWD has distributed over 5.2 million family food packs.
The agency is also responding to the Mt. Kanlaon eruption in Negros Island, where it has extended over P14.7 million in humanitarian assistance, in partnership with other organizations.
Latest reports indicate that more than 10,000 families in 25 barangays in Western and Central Visayas have been affected.
More than 4,600 families are temporarily sheltered in 28 evacuation centers in these regions.
