The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Tuesday assured families affected by tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, as well as the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat,” of continued humanitarian assistance.

DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said the agency has mobilized its resources to support more than 815,000 families, or more than 2.8 million individuals, affected by the inclement weather.

In a radio interview, Dumlao assured the public of an uninterrupted supply of relief goods, saying DSWD warehouses nationwide remain safe and dry despite the flooding.

“Isa sa mga requirement ng DSWD in choosing warehouses ay dapat hindi po ito itinayo sa mga hazard-prone areas, so dapat hindi binabaha, hindi po malapit sa mga lugar na binabaha, so tinitiyak natin na maayos ang kondisyon ng ating mga relief items (One of the DSWD’s requirements in choosing warehouses is that they should not be built in hazard-prone areas. They should not be prone to flooding or located near flood-prone areas, so we ensure that our relief items are kept in good condition),” said Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson.

She said temporary displacement increased in some areas, including Benguet in the Cordillera region, due to persistent rains, and Sta. Maria, Bulacan, where rising floodwaters prompted residents to seek shelter in evacuation centers.

Despite ongoing relief operations, the DSWD has more than 4.7 million prepositioned family food packs (FFPs) nationwide and PHP1.6 billion in standby funds to sustain augmentation support to affected local government units (LGUs).

“Ang DSWD naman po meron pang nasa mahigit 4.7 million family food packs prepositioned across the country. Umabot na po kami ng 5 million mahigit but siyempre nabawasan na dahil sa ongoing response operation, but araw-araw naman po nagpo-produce ng goods ‘yung ating Luzon Disaster Resource Center at ang Visayas Disaster Resource Center (The DSWD still has more than 4.7 million family food packs prepositioned across the country. We had reached more than 5 million, but of course, the number has decreased due to the ongoing response operations. However, our Luzon Disaster Resource Center and Visayas Disaster Resource Center produce goods every day),” Dumlao said.

As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, the DSWD had provided more than PHP231.9 million worth of humanitarian aid to families affected by the weather disturbances, based on the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information and Communication (DROMIC) report.

The continuing response is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure prompt and adequate government assistance to calamity-affected communities.

While LGUs serve as first responders during disasters, the DSWD remains ready to augment relief assistance whenever local authorities need support, including for evacuation centers and affected areas within their jurisdictions.

Residents with concerns about relief distribution, particularly those staying outside evacuation centers, may coordinate with their local officials or message the official DSWD Facebook page, @DSWDserves, for assistance. (PNA)