DSWD concludes relief efforts for victims of floods, quakes in Visayas, Mindanao; extends P870-M aid
A Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official on Monday, March 18 said the agency had completed its efforts to provide humanitarian aid to families affected by earthquakes in Mindanao and weather disturbances in the Visayas, totaling P870 million.
“The DSWD, through its field offices in Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Soccsksargen (Region 12), and Caraga region (Region 13), has provided family food packs worth over P284 million [and] non-food items amounting to over P6 million,” DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications and spokesperson Romel Lopez said.
Lopez said DSWD’s field offices in Visayas and Mindanao also provided financial assistance totaling P578 million to 150,356 disaster-affected families through the Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) programs.
The ECT functions as an “adaptive strategy” to bridge the gaps between immediate disaster relief, humanitarian response, and early recovery assistance by providing direct cash aid to families affected by disasters in areas under a state of calamity.
Meanwhile, the AICS acts as a safety net or a “stop-gap” mechanism to aid individuals and families in recovering from unforeseen crises like the illness or death of a family member, natural or man-made disasters, and other emergency situations.
“We assure the public that while our field office personnel have already concluded their response efforts in the disaster-struck localities, they will continue to work closely with concerned local government units to ensure the continuous recovery of the affected families,” he pointed out.
DSWD’s relief response efforts in the disaster-affected areas of Visayas and Mindanao began in the fourth quarter of 2023.