A mother takes her children to safety amid a second wave of flooding in a village in Oroquieta City on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022. (Photo from the Facebook account of Oroquieta City Mayor Lemuel Acosta)
MANILA, Philippines — The government has given some P88 million in aid — cash, food, and other items — to Visayas and Mindanao residents affected by flooding brought about by several low pressure areas.
Undersecretary Edu Punay of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shared the information in a media forum on Wednesday, according to the Presidential Communications Office.
Punay said the DSWD still has P1.2 billion available stockpiles and a quick response fund ready for disposal.
According to Punay, the DSWD recorded 1.8 million individuals affected by flooding and heavy rainfall in Eastern Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao.
Shear line weather on Christmas Day, followed by the northeast monsoon and several low pressure areas, brought heavy rains that drenched those regions.
On Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council reported a total of 20 deaths since the start of the year due to rainfall caused by the combined effects of recent low-pressure areas and the northeast monsoon.