The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) is ready with over P58.4 million worth of assistance in food, non-food and cash assistance for local government units (LGUs) needing augmentation in times of disasters.

“We have 51,221 food packs worth P27.4 million that are ready for distribution. We have available non-food items worth P25.2 million and a standby fund of P5.8 million,” DSWD Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division information officer Therese Fely Legaste said in an interview yesterday.

She added that 16,885 food packs are currently on standby at their regional office in Iloilo City’s Molo District; 4,525 are at the Bacolod warehouse; and 29,811 food packs are in their 26 strategic locations all over the region.

“We would like to be ready so we continue to pre-position and do repacking. Since January, we have not only had flooding but there were also fire incidents, armed conflict. So we are providing augmentation assistance to our LGUs,” she said.

Legaste added that for the February 14 to 17 low pressure area (LPA) period, their office has released P672,158 worth of food and non-food items to 1,238 families or equivalent to 5,844 individuals in Capiz province’s Cuartero and Dumalag towns and Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town.

The recipients were affected by flooding due to heavy rains and flooding due to the LPA.

She said that of the total families affected, 694 families were displaced and 261 opted to stay in evacuation centers, while 433 families stayed outside or with their relatives and in other safer places.

The LPA also destroyed three houses and partially damaged 13 others in Cauayan.

Legaste said currently, the displaced families have already returned to their houses after the flooding subsided. (PNA)