The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been stepping up relief operations to assist thousands of families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.
In its Saturday update, the DSWD said it is closely attending to and monitoring the needs of the 97,206 families or 409,455 persons thus far affected by Paeng in 733 barangays in Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Of these numbers, 12,304 families or 48,808 persons are taking temporary shelter in 506 evacuation centers in Calabarzon, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.
Meanwhile, 2,589 families or 12,214 persons are temporarily staying with their relatives or friends.
As of early Saturday morning, the DSWD, through its quick response teams in the different field offices, has provided PHP3.4 million worth of assistance to the affected families.
This includes 5,418 family food packs (FFPs) distributed to displaced families in Bicol (986), Western Visayas (4,407), and Zamboanga Peninsula (385) worth PHP2.98 million.
Each FFP contains 6 kg. of rice, four tin cans of corned beef, four tin cans of sardines, and six packs of energy drinks or coffee sufficient to feed a family of five for two days.
DSWD field offices have also distributed 385 sleeping kits in the Zamboanga Peninsula and 205 kitchen kits in Central Visayas.
According to the DSWD report, its National Resource Logistics and Management Bureau is continuously facilitating the loading of FFPs, drinking water, food, and other non-food items (FNIs) for immediate delivery to regions affected by the onslaught of Paeng.
FNIs include sleeping kits, hygiene kits, family kits, kitchen kits, family tents, modular tents, plastic mats, and mosquito nets.
DSWD field offices, in close coordination with the LGUs and other government agencies, including the police and the military, are facilitating the unloading and delivery of the FFPs and FNIs to the affected families.
The DSWD currently has a prepositioned relief stockpile of 579,248 FFPs worth PHP 365.2 million, and PHP701.7 million worth of FNIs ready for delivery to the affected families.
Of these, 74,315 FFPs are available in Disaster Response Centers, and 504,933 FFPs in DSWD field offices, which may support the relief needs of the displaced families through inter-field office augmentation.
The DSWD also has PHP444.3 million in standby funds – PHP372.57 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) at the DSWD Central Office, and PHP72.72 million available in its field offices.
The standby funds and the prepositioned relief stockpile have a total worth of PHP1.5 billion.
According to the DSWD report, the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) of the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) continues to closely monitor the effects of Paeng, in close coordination with the concerned field offices for significant disaster response updates and assistance provided.
Moreover, all DRMB quick response teams and emergency equipment are on standby and ready for deployment. (PNA)