MANILA, Philippines — The national government, along with its partners, has so far provided over P275 million worth of humanitarian aid to families affected by the recent onslaught of tropical cyclone Egay (international name: Doksuri) and the southwest monsoon, locally called “habagat.”
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Director Michael Christopher Mathay disclosed this in a news forum held Saturday.
“The total cost of humanitarian assistance is P275 million plus. This is provided by DSWD, local government units and non-government organizations, and other partners. And ‘yung available relief resources naman natin ay halos nasa P2.2 billion. These are standby funds [or] quick response funds,” said Mathay.
(Our available relief resources are almost at P2.2 billion. These are standby funds or quick response funds.)
Among the areas that received aid include Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western, Eastern, and Central Visayas, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, and Cordillera Administrative Region.
Besides food packs, Mathay said the DSWD is also extending emergency cash transfers to those affected by the calamities so they could buy other necessities such as medicine.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian earlier stated that families affected by the recent weather disturbances will benefit from the department’s cash-for-work programs to help them recover.
Gatchalian said these programs will be implemented in line with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive to the DSWD, which is to “focus on early recovery” and “rehabilitation” of cyclone-affected individuals.
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