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Philippines

DSWD allots P12.7-M relief aid for Mindanao flood victims

MANILA, July 31 -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development has set aside P12.7-million worth of emergency relief resources for the victims of floodings that have hit Mindanao due to heavy rains, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing in Malacanang, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the DSWD has also been in close coordination with local counterparts in Mindanao to augment technical assistance and resource augmentation (TARA) needed by the victims.

Strong rains dumped over the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City over the weekend and have caused floods and displaced more than 50,000 residents from their homes.

“The information that we have is that all DSWD teams are already in close coordination with their local counterparts for any request for technical assistance and resource augmentation or what we call the TARA,” Valte said. “The DSWD has already prepositioned P12.70-million worth of emergency relief resources consisting of standby funds, of family food packs, and other food items and other non-food items."

Valte pointed out that the national government has moved to augment DSWD and LGU (local government unit) actions by providing additional food packs for residents in the affected areas.

“The national government has provided an augmentation of 6,000 food packs for DSWD-ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and that DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman has approved the release of additional 30,000 food packs for Maguindanao and for Sarangani,” Valte said. (PCOO)