Over P26 million in humanitarian aid has been so far extended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to families affected by Mount Kanlaon’s restiveness, an agency official reported on Monday.
“As Kanlaon’s restiveness continues, we also anticipate that the amount of assistance will continue to soar in the coming days,” said DSWD Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, who is also the agency’s spokesperson.
Dumlao said a total of 18,881 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) have already been delivered by the DSWD to cover the food needs of families affected in Western Visayas (Region 6) and Central Visayas (Region 7).
More non-food items (NFIs) are also being sourced out from the agency’s warehouses, such as modular tents, family kits, kitchen kits, sleeping kits, among others.
“Over the weekend, our DSWD Field Office (FO) 6 delivered modular tents and hygiene kits for distribution to the affected families in La Carlota City, as well as hygiene kits and sleeping kits for the use of families in the municipality of La Castellana,” the DSWD official said.
A total of 10,784 families or 43,970 individuals were affected by the volcanic activities of Mount Kanlaon, based on the DSWD Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) report as of 6:00 am.
Meanwhile, a total of 4,275 families or 13,688 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently taking temporary shelter in the 27 evacuation centers across Negros Island.
In response to the increasing number of IDPs and prolonged evacuations, the DSWD ramped up coordination with the local government units (LGUs) to ensure a unified approach to the psychosocial needs of the evacuees.
At the La Castellana Municipal Evacuation Center, FO Western Visayas personnel joined forces with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) to organize a film-showing for the evacuees.
“This initiative aims to provide temporary entertainment for our evacuees, particularly to children and ease their trauma and stress caused by the unrest at Mount Kanlaon,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.
As of press time, the agency maintains 1,512,274 boxes of FFPs across its regional warehouses and last-mile facilities nationwide.
Dumlao reiterated that the DSWD is on top of the situation and well-equipped to respond accordingly in case Mount Kanlaon’s magmatic restiveness requires prolonged and wider operations.
“We, of course, do not wish for things to worsen, especially at such a time when our kababayans should be enjoying the holiday season. But still, the DSWD, together with the LGUs and the national government, remains on full alert to monitor the situation, and give appropriate assistance in any eventuality,” Dumlao said.
