The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended over P132 million worth of humanitarian aid to families and individuals affected by the continuing restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon.
Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said on Thursday, April 10, that the aid covers 107,825 family food packs (FFPs) and 24,990 non-food items that have been augmented to local government units (LGUs) since the Dec. 9 eruption, as well as P28 million in financial assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
The DSWD also provided over 3,500 other food items such as potable water and hot meals.
Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, told reporters that the agency is striving to address “food-pack fatigue” among internally displaced persons (IDPs) through the joint provision of hot meals with concerned LGUs as most evacuees have been displaced for almost four months now.
“We have community kitchens in the evacuation centers, so we were able to provide other food to evacuees besides the FFPs,” she said.
Based on the April 10 report of the agency’s Disaster Response Operations Management Information Communication (DROMIC), a total of 12,761 families or 48,850 individuals in the Negros Island were affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon.
Of these, 2,606 families or 8,313 persons are currently taking temporary shelter in 22 open evacuation centers, while 3,702 families or 11,892 persons are temporarily staying with their friends or relatives.
In line with the marching order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Dumlao assured the public that the agency has sufficient resources to ensure that no affected families would go hungry amid the ongoing crisis.
“Again, the DSWD is ready to provide assistance because we have adequate resources. We have 2.7 million FFPs in the national stockpile and we are continuously producing,” Dumlao said.
Of these, 152,546 FFPs are stockpiled in the Negros Island Region: 88,195 in Negros Occidental, 58,220 in Negros Oriental, and 6,131 in Siquijor.
She said the DSWD also has P93 million in stand-by funds nationwide and non-food items such as hygiene, family, and kitchen kits as well as modular tents.*PNA