DSWD: P210M relief given to storm-hit areas

OVER P210 million worth of food and non-food relief assistance has been distributed to some 2.8 million persons or 797,153 families in 10 regions affected by severe tropical storm “Enteng,” data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed.

Monitoring by the agency’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) as of yesterday showed about P199.6 million worth of aid came from the DSWD, P9.92 million from local government units, P634,691 from non-governmental organizations, and P225,328 from other private partners.

It also showed that 77,595 persons or 25, 654 families were displaced in Metro Manila, Ilocos Norte, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, and the Cordillera Administrative Region, which includes 27,468 individuals (7,812 families) still in 347 evacuation centers and 50,127 persons (17, 842 families) temporarily staying with relatives or friends.

At least 6,400 houses from Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and the CAR were damaged.

DSWD assured the public it still has over P2.597 billion worth of cash (P81.8 million) and stockpiles of food and non-food items on standby.

Social Welfare Assistant Secretary and spokeswoman Irene Dumlao, in an interview with radio dzBB late Saturday, said the agency continues to pack food boxes and non-food kits and is preparing for the early recovery phase even as it continues to with the response phase.

She said the early recovery phase includes cash-for-work or emergency cash transfer programs.

She said DSWD is now finalizing the cash-for-work or emergency cash transfer program, including determining how much financial aid would be given to the affected families or individuals. The cash aid is usually equal to 75 percent of the regional minimum wage per day times several number of the days, she said.