The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday said it has over PHP1.02 billion in Quick Response Fund (QRF) that can be utilized to ensure the continuous provision of aid to disaster-hit families and for future calamities.

“Tuloy-tuloy rin ang monitoring at pakikipag-ugnayan ng DSWD sa mga lokal na pamahalaan na mayroong pa ring mga internally displaced persons (IDPs). Tinitiyak natin na may sapat silang nakukuhang tulong at maayos ang kanilang kundisyon sa mga evacuation centers (The DSWD continues to monitor and coordinate with local government units that still have internally displaced persons (IDPs). We are ensuring that they receive adequate assistance and are in good condition in the evacuation centers),” DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said in a news release.

As of Monday, the Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC) reported that some 16,121 families or 56,125 individuals are still taking temporary shelter in 713 evacuation centers due to the impact of the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat”.

The DROMIC added that about 22,910 families, or 84,080 persons, are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.

Dumlao, also assistant secretary for the Disaster Response Management Group, said the DSWD is ready to augment assistance to local government units, as 3.2 million family food packs (FFPs) have been pre-positioned in different strategic locations across the country.

She reported that DSWD assistance to families affected by the combined effects of tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay, Neneng and Pilandok, and habagat has reached more than PHP2.1 billion.

The assistance includes over 3 million FFPs, 21,000 non-food items, and more than 52,000 ready-to-eat foods distributed to affected families in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure enough government assistance for disaster-hit individuals, she said. (PNA)