The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will move P98 million worth of food and non-food items at the DSWD National Resource Operations Center to the areas affected by Mayon Volcano's continued seismic activities.
DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral, in a memorandum to Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, said the pre-positioned items augment DSWD's standby calamity fund amounting to P22 million.
Cabral's report was relayed to Palace reporters by Deputy Presidential Spokesperson for Economic Affairs Gary Olivar, in the absence of Remonde who is with President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo in Copenhagen, Denmark attending the Climate Change Leaders Summit.
Mayon's imminent eruption has forced the evacuation of 6,559 families or 30,761 persons in 17 evacuation centers in Camalig, Daraga, Legazpi City, Tabaco City, Malilipot, and Sto. Domingo, all in Albay.
Cabral said DSWD-Field Office V Quick Response and Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) teams have been activated to assist local government units in disaster operations like management of evacuation centers and relief distribution.
Around P442,446 worth of relief support/augmentation assistance for the displaced families were released through the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office of Albay consisting of 2,400 one-liter bottles of mineral water (P52,800); 88 boxes of biscuits (P47,520); 413 boxes of noodles (P158,592); 1,000 family food packs (P153,534) and 3,000 face masks (P30,000).
Cabral said she has also released P500,000 to DSWD-FO V in addition to its P300,000 standby funds and P1.65 million worth of pre-positioned food supplies (P450,251) and non-food items (P1.2 million) for release to the affected population.