Humanitarian assistance extended to families affected by the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and Severe Tropical Storm “Crising” has reached over P32 million, latest data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed.

In a report during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) yesterday, DSWD disaster response information and management section head Claud Jan Marquez said that from 4,455 families from 30 local government units (LGUs) initially provided with assistance on July 17, the number rose to 86,707 families from 62 LGUs on Tuesday, July 22.

“We have 232 affected families inside evacuation centers and 154 displaced families outside evacuation centers. Most of them are in the province of Iloilo and Iloilo City,” he said.

As of Tuesday, he said only 29 evacuation centers are still open, and would have been down to zero if Tropical Storm “Dante” had not developed.

“All in all, the stakeholders, including the local government units, non-governmental organizations and DSWD, have responded with P32.46 million worth of assistance; P25.6 million coming from DSWD Field Office 6,” Marquez said.

Based on data, Negros Occidental received P17.36 million worth of food and non-food items, followed by Antique with P3.76 million, and Iloilo City with P2.4 million.

In Aklan, the assistance amounted to P558,328; Capiz – P991,356; and Iloilo – P511,112.

To date, he said DSWD FO-6 still has a total of P124.18 million in standby funds and prepositioned relief goods stockpiled in their regional warehouses in Oton, Iloilo and Bacolod City, as well as in 67 local government units across the region. (PNA)