Bicol: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to provide uninterrupted relief operations and financial assistance to families affected by Mayon Volcano's unrest, while simultaneously initiating efforts to retrofit evacuation facilities against extreme heat.
According to Philippines News Agency, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) presented recent data on DSWD 5's (Bicol Region) Mayon Volcano disaster response operations during a media forum at the DSWD Central Office on Thursday. Dumlao highlighted that as of 6 a.m., more than 70,000 affected families, equivalent to over 286,000 individuals, have been recorded in Region 5.
Disaster monitoring teams have noted that 1,132 families, or 4,106 individuals, are still taking temporary shelter across 12 open evacuation centers, with 26 families, or 85 individuals, staying outside these designated centers. Dumlao emphasized the DSWD's commitment to support local government units (LGUs), with an agreement to distribute family food packs every 15 days.
To sustain the daily needs of the displaced populations, the DSWD has already distributed 100,257 family food packs, 1,402 ready-to-eat food boxes, and 7,634 non-food items containing essential hygiene kits and kitchen supplies. Additionally, a mobile kitchen has been mobilized to provide hot and nutritious meals to prevent 'food pack fatigue.'
Humanitarian interventions have expanded through cash-for-work and emergency cash transfer modalities, releasing PHP56,856,500 in financial aid to support vulnerable households. As the lead agency for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), the DSWD is working to shield internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the adverse effects of soaring temperatures.
Dumlao stated that discussions are ongoing to retrofit evacuation centers to protect and insulate camps and tents from elevated heat temperatures. The DSWD is also revising the 2021 Joint Memorandum Circular on CCCM to effectively integrate heat emergency planning nationwide. Proposed additions to evacuation centers include cooling areas equipped with air cooling machines and air conditioning units.
To ensure national readiness for prolonged displacement, the DSWD maintains a massive stockpile of relief goods to immediately augment local resources. Dumlao reiterated that this effort aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to ensure fast and sustained assistance to disaster-affected families. The national stockpile currently holds 4,696,978 boxes of family food packs, strategically prepositioned across the country, and a total standby fund of PHP1.21 billion to guarantee an immediate response during prolonged emergency scenarios.
