MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed more than PHP101 million in assistance to families affected by the severe drought conditions induced by El Niño. This support primarily includes Family Food Packs (FFPs), designed to meet the immediate needs of the impacted households.
According to Philippines News Agency, who announced this in a news release on Friday, the agency has also strategically prepositioned additional resources. As of May 3, the DSWD had 178,400 FFPs, valued at over PHP121.6 million, ready for distribution across the country. "The DSWD's National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau is also ensuring the replenishment and availability of food and non-food items for resource augmentation to DSWD Field Offices as the need arises," Dumlao stated.
DSWD records indicate that the drought has affected approximately 737,901 families, or 3,095,107 individuals, across 4,058 villages in all regions of the Philippines, excluding Metro Manila. Dumlao also noted that local government units have contributed an additional PHP6.2 million in assistance, with other partners providing around PHP5.4 million.
The DSWD maintains a substantial reserve for disaster response, with over PHP3.2 billion worth of relief supplies and standby funds prepared for use in disaster operations.