DSWD: Over P1B aid given to El Niño-hit communities

GOVERNMENT assistance to communities affected by the El Niño nationwide have reached more than P1.099 billion, data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as of September 1 showed.

The DSWD said that from July 2023 to May 2024, El Niño conditions have been observed and the effects in the Philippines have been felt such as damage to agriculture and water shortages in various regions.

Based on the monitoring of the DSWD- Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC), 1.811 million families or 7.038 persons have been affected from 8,818 barangays throughout the country.

A total of P1.99 billion worth of assistance, mostly food packs and non-food relief items, have been provided to those affected, with P1.037 billion coming from DSWD, P51.6 million from local government units, P8.511 million from private donors, and P1.799 million from non-government organizations.

This is on top and separate from the cash aid provided by DSWD and the Office of the President to farmers and fisherfolks affected by El Niño in the past months.

In Antipolo City, the local government yesterday started distributing over P2 million in financial assistance to thousands of farmers affected by the dry season.

The Antipolo public information office (PIO) said the payout was carried out at Sitio Old Boso boso in Barangay San Jose, with each farmer receiving P2,000 cash aid.

The city government said it also plans to give financial aid to other farmer organizations and associations in the next few weeks.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that El Niño has ended as of June 2024, “as both oceanic and atmospheric indicators have returned to El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-neutral levels.”

PAGASA also said that there is a 69 percent chance of a transition from ENSO-neutral to La Niña conditions until September. – With Christian Oineza