MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released more than ₱714 million in humanitarian assistance to support communities affected by dry conditions brought on by El Niño.
Speaking at a forum on Thursday, October 1, Social Welfare Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao detailed the ongoing relief operations.
The department has distributed 43,504 family food packs, 3,660 water containers, nearly 5,000 additional food items, and 2,300 non-food relief supplies to impacted areas.
“The total cost of humanitarian assistance provided by the Department has reached more than ₱714 million, and in addition to the assistance I mentioned, we have also deployed the specialized disaster response vehicles of our agency. We have water tankers and water treatment units deployed in Field Office 7 (Central Visayas) and 11 (Davao Region),” Dumlao said during the forum.
According to data from the DSWD’s Disaster Resource Management Bureau, dry conditions are affecting 3,463 barangays across the country, impacting 189,994 families or roughly 356,800 individuals.
To help families cope with economic losses, the agency disbursed ₱702.619 million in direct financial aid to 68,905 beneficiaries through its Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance-Emergency Cash Transfer program.
Affected populations have been recorded across multiple regions, including Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Cebu, Leyte, Northern Samar, Western Samar, Mountain Province, and Dinagat Islands. Region 2 has seen the highest number of impacted households, leading local authorities in Cagayan and Isabela to declare a state of calamity.
Other severely hit areas include Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Camarines Norte, Dinagat Islands, and Agusan del Norte.
To prepare for ongoing needs, the DSWD maintains ₱1.44 billion in standby funds and has strategically positioned 3.86 million family food packs across the country.
Production remains active at the Luzon and Visayas Disaster Resource Centers as the agency works toward its target of 5.2 million prepositioned food packs stored across more than 1,000 warehouses nationwide.