A senior official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday (September 4) that the agency has been continuously distributing family food packs (FFPs) and other non-food items to families and individuals affected by Severe Tropical Storm Enteng compounded by the southwest monsoon or habagat.
“Patuloy po ang koordinasyon na isinasagawa ng DSWD sa mga lokal na pamahalaan, partikular na po sa mga naapektuhan ng Typhoon Enteng. Sa kasalukuyan, ang DSWD ay nakapaghatid na ng augmentation support sa karamihan ng local government units (LGUs),” Asst. Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DMRG) Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesperson, said in an interview over PTV-4.
The DSWD is also distributing non-food items such as family kit, hygiene kit, sleeping kit, and kitchen kits, according to the DRMG official.
“Nakapag padala tayo ng mga FFPs [to affected regions] at gayundin yung mga non-food items natin kagaya ng family kit, hygiene kit, sleeping kit, and kitchen kit. As we speak, po patuloy pa rin ang dispatch o pag-pick up ng mga karagdagang FFPs mula sa ating mga hubs, spokes, and last miles—yung mga warehouses ng ating ahensya,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao pointed out.
As of press time, the agency has so far released 133,190 boxes of FFPs as augmentation support to the affected LGUs in the National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (CALABARZON), 5 (Bicol), and 8 (Eastern Visayas).
Of this number, the biggest chunk of 54,100 FFPs were given to NCR; followed by 24,461 to Bicol; 21,023 to Central Luzon; 20,190 to Eastern Visayas; 12,979 to CALABARZON; and 437 to Cagayan Valley.
These FFPs are either prepositioned in DSWD Field Offices, released to local government units (LGUs); or currently being delivered/picked-up by LGUs.
Financial aid
According to Asst. Secretary Dumlao, the Department also distributed cash aid, under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, to disaster-affected families.
In CALABARZON, the agency has so far distributed a total of Php70,000 or Php10,000 to each of the bereaved families of the seven individuals who perished from landslides and floods spawned by Enteng.
The DSWD Field Office 7-Central Visayas also extended Php20,000 or Php10,000 each to two affected families in Cebu City.
“We would like to reiterate that provision of financial assistance under AICS is based on the assessment of our social workers,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
Naga City mayor lauds DSWD’s swift response for Enteng-hit constituents
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was lauded by the local chief executive of Naga City in Camarines Sur province on Wednesday (September 4) for the agency’s swift delivery of augmentation support to the local government unit’s (LGU) relief efforts for families severely affected by Tropical Storm Enteng.
In an interview over DZBB, Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion said he has been actively coordinating with DSWD Field Office (FO) 5 – Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio whose FO provided unhampered response to the needs of the severely-impacted constituents since the onslaught of Enteng.
“Meron pa pong dumarating na tulong coming from DSWD na atin pong pinupuri ano po, mabilisan po yung aksyon po nila at magkausap po kami ni Regional Director Norman Laurio noong gabi, kasagsagan ng ulan,” Mayor Legacion told veteran broadcasters Arnold Clavio and Connie Sison.
“The following day, Monday, 7:00 AM, andoon na kaagad yung mga food packs at immediately sinimulan na po naming ipamigay sa mga evacuees,” Mayor Legacion said as he noted the DSWD’s immediate response to their request for FFPs.
As a part of the Department’s disaster and relief response, the DSWD FO-5 dispatched additional 2,000 Family Food Packs (FFPs) to evacuation centers in Naga City and Canaman town Camarines Sur on Tuesday (September 3).
The FO-5 has so far provided 24,461 boxes of FFPs to families affected by Tropical Storm Enteng in the six provinces of the Bicol Region.
These FFPs are either prepositioned in the Field Office, released to local government units (LGUs) or currently being delivered/picked-up by LGUs.
