ILOILO: The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) said more than PHP161 million worth of assistance had been released to families and individuals affected by the El Niño and the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Western Visayas during the first half of 2024. OCD 6 (Western Visayas) Director Raul E. Fernandez, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday, said more than PHP120.06 million worth of assistance was provided by the OCD and various government agencies to El Niño-hit families, which included but was not limited to food and non-food items (NFIs), livelihood, and water. He said the El Niño response ended in July with 1,843,580 individuals affected and damage to the agricultural sector amounting to more than PHP1.71 billion. 'This is significant considering Western Visayas is one of the largest sources of agricultural products in the country,' Fernandez said. Meanwhile, more than PHP41.23 million worth of assistance was provided to families affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on June 3. The eruption affected 33,606 individuals, and the ashfall damaged 2,680 houses. '(The) OCD continues to mobilize manpower and resources for these two and monitor any developments affecting the population,' Fernandez said. He assured available support in case of future calamities, citing preparations for the La Niña phenomenon. 'We have prepositioned welfare goods and NFIs stationed in various strategic locations, mostly inside military camps,' he said. The OCD is also poised to activate the Regional Task Force La Niña in the coming days, he added. Source: Philippines News agency