The Regional Office IX of Department of Social Welfare and Development bares its plan in preparation for the onset of the rainy season.

In its La Niña preparedness plan, it targets 3,000 families to be potentially provided with family food packs and non-food items such as sleeping mats and blankets.

Currently, the department has a total of P8,265,800.00 worth of emergency relief supplies such as 22,000 Family Food Packs worth P7,920,000.00, 700 pcs sleeping mats worth P175,000.00 and 976 pcs blankets worth P170,800.00

Regional Director Atty. Araceli Solamillo said that these goods are prepositioned in case LGUs request for relief augmentation support.

“DSWD is ready to assist or augment the resources of LGUs during calamities or disaster in case their supplies or funds are exhausted. They just have to send us a request letter and incident report that includes number of families or individuals affected and the needed interventions so we can provide them with adequate relief items.” Solamillo said in a statement.

El Niño Assistance

Worth P6,300,000.00 has been utilized to pay 3,000 farmers in Zamboanga City under the Cash-for-work scheme which was implemented for 10 days. Meanwhile, another group of 3,000 farmers in Zamboanga City also received 25 kilos of rice each, worth P2,250,000.00 in total.

Moreover, 3 municipalities in the region have just completed the implementation of CFW and FFW and are just waiting for the payment to be processed, while 17 others are still under implementation.

The DSWD Regional Office IX allocated a total of P80,132,980.00 for the cash and food for work project to aid the El Niño stricken families in the region.