DSWD prepares aid for families affected by Kanlaon Volcano eruption

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured that the agency is ready to distribute family food packs and other necessary aid to communities affected by the explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano early Tuesday morning, April 8.
Gatchalian said over 250,000 family food packs have been prepositioned in DSWD warehouses in Western Visayas (Region 6) and Central Visayas (Region 7), even before the eruption.
Since Kanlaon’s previous eruption on Dec. 9, 2024, DSWD has delivered bulk food supplies to local government units (LGUs) in the affected regions.
“Our Field Offices in Western and Central Visayas are closely coordinating with affected local government units so we can get real-time updates on the status of affected families, and their need for more provisions of family food packs and non-food items,” Gatchalian said.
He added that DSWD is prepared to provide further assistance as the local response to the eruption may require more resources.
“We expect the numbers of evacuees may spike again, but we are ready. Our nearby warehouses are capacitated. In fact,apart from the more than 100,000 FFPs (family food packs) in Negros Island, we have over 2.5 million boxes of FFPs prepositioned in other warehouses across the country which we can tap anytime for our relief response,” Gatchalian said.
The agency also has P865 million worth of non-food items, including kitchen kits, family kits, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, and laminated sacks, among other essential supplies.
Gatchalian urged residents in nearby communities to heed evacuation orders issued by LGUs and prioritize their safety.
He noted that while help is on the way, the primary concern for evacuees should be their safety.
He assured that all available resources would be utilized to ensure their comfort, especially since many have been in evacuation centers since the volcano was placed under Alert Level 3 on Dec. 9.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/8/explosive-eruption-rocks-kanlaon-volcano