The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has announced today, December 14, that P2 billion is readily available as standby funds for communities heavily affected by the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano.
In a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report, it said that the P2-billion funding comprises P92.2 million in standby funds at DSWD central and field offices, 1.1 billion for family food packs, and P891 million for various food and non-food items.
“As we speak, ongoing ang DSWD, particularly our field offices, sa pakikipag-coordinate sa mga local government units para ma-address natin o matugunan ‘yung pangangailangan ng mga naapektuhan nating mga kababayan,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group Irene Dumlao was quoted as saying in the report.
Following the eruption, the DSWD and its partners have already distributed over P14.7 million worth of humanitarian aid. The department is also conducting a rapid damage assessment to identify additional interventions for those affected, Dumlao said.
According to the PNA report, the latest DSWD data revealed that more than 10,000 families, or over 42,000 individuals, in Western and Central Visayas have been affected by the Kanlaon Volcano eruption, with at least 4,600 families, or more than 15,000 individuals, currently displaced.
