Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is continuously providing timely aid to communities in Central Luzon and Mindanao heavily affected by torrential rains brought by the southwest monsoon or 'habagat.'

According to Philippines News Agency, the DSWD has extended more than PHP2.12 million worth of family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items (NFIs) such as family kits, blankets, and mats to habagat-hit families and individuals, as stated by Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) in a recent news release. Dumlao emphasized the urgency of the relief assistance, highlighting the agency's coordination with local government units (LGUs) to expedite distribution efforts.

Dumlao reiterated President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s commitment to collaborative disaster response, stating, "Like what President Marcos always says, in any disaster or emergency, the national and local governments are always helping each other to assist our countrymen and make them feel that they are not alone."

The southwest monsoon, compounded by a low-pressure area, led to flooding in several barangays in Zamboanga City on June 7. In response, the DSWD Field Office 9 - Zamboanga Peninsula swiftly distributed 1,000 boxes of FFPs to the affected areas on the same day.

Currently, the weather disturbances have affected a total of 4,884 families or 16,891 individuals across 43 barangays in Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen. Of these, 1,180 families or 4,189 persons are seeking temporary shelter in 16 evacuation centers in Central Luzon and Zamboanga Peninsula.

Dumlao assured that the agency's respective field offices in the disaster-hit regions remain on high alert, ensuring that the LGUs have sufficient resources to meet their constituents' needs. "We are ready for any requests for resource augmentation from LGUs. Altogether in Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, and Soccsksargen, we have 694,526 FFPs already prepositioned," she added.

Under the 'Buong Bansa Handa' (BBH) strategy, the DSWD is committed to the timely provision of aid to affected families, in line with the President's directive for swift and sufficient response during disasters. The agency is well-prepared to provide additional aid if necessary, with over three million FFPs prepositioned nationwide and more than PHP209 million in stand-by funds available for ongoing disaster response operations.