DSWD releases P17 M relief assistance for victims of floods and rains

Some P17 million worth of relief assistance has been released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to local government units (LGUs) affected by flashflood and heavy rains that have occurred since May 22.

Of the amount, the DSWD provided some P11,243,260 augmentation support to affected LGUs in Region XII. As of June 24, 6: 00 a.m. some 76,559 families with 383,212 persons were affected by the flooding incident from the 189 barangays, 15 municipalities, two cities and three provinces in the region. Forty-six evacuation centers remain open serving 10,947 families with 54,735 persons. Affected families outside evacuation centers are also being provided with relief assistance.

Of these, 39 evacuation centers are located in the hardest hit Cotabato City providing temporary shelter to 9,961 families with 45,805 persons. The DSWD has provided P8.3 million worth of relief assistance to Cotabato City. These include 600 bags of NFA rice, 26,482 family food packs, 858 clothing packs,  seven (7) rolls of laminated sacks, 180 pieces of plastic mats, and 5,000 pieces malong.

“We are facilitating the repacking and delivery of relief goods. We have massive repacking at Cotabato City and Koronadal City Operations centers.  Volunteers from different organizations shall be helping in the repacking of relief goods, “ Secretary Soliman stated. Furthermore, to improve the management of evacuation centers and relief distribution, 22 DSWD social workers were deployed to assist LGU social workers.

At present, P981,596.00 worth of relief supplies were airlifted from the DSWD-National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City. The supplies contain 1,000 blankets, 20 4-by-5 tarpaulins, and 245 plastic mats which were donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund for Maguindanao and Cotabato City.

Nonfood items such as shirts, jackets, bedsheets, comforters and pants worth P697,783.93 will be shipped immediately to augment relief distribution efforts in Region XII and ARMM.

Meanwhile, the DSWD also continues to assist LGUs affected by typhoon “Falcon.”   The DSWD Field Offices in the National Capital Region and Region V have pre-positioned P1.7 million standby funds and P24.22 M worth of relief goods .

As of June 24, 6:00 a.m., 656 families with 4,243 persons from Manila, Mandaluyong and Marikina have sought temporary shelter in  six evacuation centers in these areas.

In Albay, five evacuation centers have been set-up where 102 families with 446 persons are being served.

Secretary Soliman said that 250 sacks of rice will be released to Cantanduanes upon request of Governor Cua.

She also explained that LGUs also have their own calamity funds and the national government will provide augmentation support when their resources have been exhausted.