DSWD says it still has funds after ‘Ambo,’ COVID-19 relief ops

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it still has funds for possible relief operations within the year, despite having their hands full with relief operations for victims of Typhoon Ambo and the COVID-19 pandemic.

DSWD gave assurance that family food packs (FFPs) have already been distributed to families in various areas recently battered by Ambo, especially those in Eastern Visayas and Bicol Region.

According to the department, they still have stockpiles and standby funds amounting to P1.451 billion.

“The amount is broken down into P178,123,861.64 for 396,025 FFPs; P264,898,262.17 worth of other food-items; P483,688,815.39 worth of non-food items; and P524,295,934.96 standby funds which can be used for relief operations,” DSWD said in a statement on their website.

“DSWD also has available Quick Response Fund (QRF) of P484,852,023.93. This serves as standby funds of the DSWD Central Office which will be used to cover relief and rehabilitation operations during disasters and calamities,” they added.

As of now, the department says that its field offices have handed out 521 FFPs to Sorsogon City’s local government, and another 912 to Casiguran town in Sorsogon, all worth P673,510.

In Eastern Visayas, DSWD says 1,350 FFPs were prepositioned in Northern Samar even before Ambo hit the area, and 1,600 FFPs from DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC) in Cebu were delivered to Catarman, Northern Samar.  Aside from these, an additional 2,300 FFPs were provided for Arteche and San Policarpio towns in Eastern Samar.

“An additional 6,300 FFPs are now in transit to the DSWD warehouse in the said area,” the department said.

“DSWD VDRC also transported 600 FFPs to Borongan City Airport, while 1,500 FFPs are now in transit to Dolores, Eastern Samar, and another 1,500 FFPs will be sent to Can-avid, Eastern Samar,” it added.

As of May 17, DSWD says that around 60,285 families or 218,400 persons were affected by Ambo in 173 barangays in Regions II, III, VIII, and in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Previously, DSWD also made the assurance that standby funds and relief items are ready for distribution amid the ongoing health crisis.

Ambo made landfall over Policarpio in Eastern Samar last Thursday noon, before hitting other several towns in Bicol and Southern and Centra Luzon.  At its peak, it packed maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 255 kph.

Before Ambo gathered strength, DSWD was also busy with the distribution of the social amelioration program (SAP) intended for workers displaced by the work suspension due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Latest numbers from the department said that 17.1 million families or 94.8 percent of the government’s target have received the aid, which ranges from P5,000 to P8,000.

EDV