The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided more than P70 million worth of humanitarian aid to families severely affected by the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
“The DSWD sent family food packs, family kits, hygiene kits, laminated sacks, and kitchen kits, among other relief items to our affected kababayans. Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed the DRMG and all our Field Offices (FOs) to intensify and double our efforts to provide extra love and care in this trying time,” DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.
This as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attended on Friday a series of situation briefings in the provinces of Quezon and Rizal where the chief executive was assured by Gatchalian the DSWD has responded to the requests for augmentation of relief supplies by the affected local government units in the CALABARZON region.
“Mr. President, the total request deployed for the entire 4-A (CALABARZON) is 42,785 (boxes of FFPs)… We probably have around 4,000 to 10,000 pending requests, which we should be able to deploy within the next 24 hours,” Gatchalian reported to Marcos during a briefing in Mauban, Quezon, which was the first stop of the Presidential team.
In Rizal province, Gatchalian accompanied the President in the inspection of the flood-affected municipality of San Mateo.
Mr. Marcos met with the evacuees currently staying at the San Mateo Elementary School and personally heard from them the current status and the needed government intervention for those severely impacted by the floods.
The DSWD chief, together with Field Office 4-A (CALABARZON) Regional Director Barry Chua and his Asst. Regional Director for Operations (ARDO) Mylah Gatchalian led the distribution of family food packs to the Carina-affected communities.
Meanwhile, Dumlao said the department also distributed cash assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
DSWD social workers continue to coordinate with Carina-affected local government units to determine other needed interventions during the recovery phase, according to Dumlao.
