The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Luzon (DSWD-3) has sent more than PHP10 million worth of assistance to families affected by Typhoon Odette.

Venus F. Rebuldela, DSWD-3 assistant director for operations, said on Wednesday the assistance consists of food and non-food items distributed to affected families in the Eastern Visayas, Mimaropa, and Caraga regions.

Rebuldela said included were about 8,000 family food packs worth PHP6.2 million; 2,000 sleeping kits worth PHP1.3 million; 1,000 hygiene kits amounting to PHP1.7 million; 600 family kits worth PHP1.3 million; and 39,000 disaster assistance family access cards (PHP69,420).

Each family food pack contains six kg. of rice, four cans of corned beef, four cans of tuna flakes, two cans of sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drink.

She said the DSWD-3 has coordinated with the regional Office of Civil Defense for the logistical support in delivering the food and non-food items.

“Inaasahan namin na ang ayudang aming ipinaabot ay makatulong sa pagbangon ng mga survivors ng bagyo (We hope the assistance we have extended would help the typhoon survivors recover),” Rebuldela said in a social media post.

Based on the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the death toll for Typhoon Odette rose to 407, but only 76 have been confirmed so far and 331 are undergoing validation.

The number of typhoon-affected families in Mimaropa, Bicol, western, central, and eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has reached 1,242,737. (PNA)