The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended Php550,000 in initial aid to families affected by adverse weather due to a shear line that continues to prevail over the MIMAROPA Region, an agency official reported on Tuesday (February 11).
“The DSWD has already sent Php550,129-worth of family food packs (FFPs) to augment the
resources of local government units (LGUs) across MIMAROPA, particularly in areas where the heavy rainfalls brought heavy flooding, flash floods, and landslides,” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, said the Department immediately extended a total of 692 family food packs (FFPs) to the MIMAROPA Region where the chunk or
472 boxes went to Palawan, whose capital Puerto Princesa City, experienced 352 millimeters of rain in 24 hours from February 9 to 10.
As reported by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA), the rainfall was 12 times the normal rainfall for February, which is supposed to be the driest month in the city. Also, it topped the heaviest 24-hour rainfall recorded in the history of Palawan.
“Upon learning of the shear line, Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed the DRMG to act fast and coordinate with concerned LGUs so we can immediately extend the much-needed aid to our affected kababayans,” the DSWD spokesperson said.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao said the Field Office (FO) 8 – Eastern Visayas is also actively coordinating with LGUs and other concerned agencies for significant updates and requests for relief augmentation intended for shear line-hit families in the region.
As of press time, a total of 34,692 families in 197 barangays in Regions MIMAROPA and Eastern Visayas have been affected by the shear line which continues to dump heavy rains over Southern Luzon and some parts of the Visayas.
Of those affected, 2,223 families or 8,804 individuals are taking temporary shelter in 59 evacuation centers.
Asst. Secretary Dumlao said the agency maintains 208,544 FFPs available at DSWD FOs MIMAROPA and 8 which can be immediately tapped for local relief operations.
