Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed over PHP202 million in aid to families impacted by recent natural disasters, such as Tropical Depression Bising, the southwest monsoon known as "habagat," the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), and volcanic activities of Mt. Kanlaon.

According to Philippines News Agency, Director Maria Isabel Lanada of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) stated in a news release on Friday that the agency has dispatched more than 167,000 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) along with essential non-food items (NFIs), including sleeping and hygiene kits as well as kitchen sets, to affected families across various regions.

Lanada detailed the allocation of funds, noting, "For Bising, we have provided PHP8.5 million worth of assistance; for ITCZ-affected families, PHP1.7 million, for Kanlaon, it's already at PHP192 million."

She emphasized that the DSWD is prepared to respond swiftly to emergencies, with sufficient stockpiles and standby funds readily available. "At any given time, the DSWD has three million FFPs prepositioned in warehouses nationwide. The Central office and the field offices also have standby funds," she mentioned.

Currently, the DSWD holds more than PHP141 million in standby funds, which includes PHP93.81 million from the Quick Response Fund (QRF) at the DSWD Central Office and PHP48 million accessible at DSWD Field Offices throughout the country.