DSWD chief reports aid given to families affected by monsoon

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has given aid to families affected by monsoon rains caused by Typhoon Butchoy (Nepartak) in Regions III and IV-A, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said on Sunday, July 10.

“Our thrust is to provide timely and responsive assistance to Filipinos during times of calamities. We can do this through coordinated efforts and communication between the central office and the DSWD field offices, and…the citizenry. We have to work together to ensure that the help people need will reach them as soon as possible,” Taguiwalo said.

As of 7 pm Saturday, July 9, there were 74 families inside 11 evacuation centers, and 272 families outside evacuation centers in Bataan and Zambales in Region III, and Rizal in Region IV-A.

In Region III, the department has provided around 200 family food packs in Bataan – 100 to displaced families in Hermosa town, while the rest were prepositioned in the DSWD provincial extension office.

Around 60,000 family food packs from the department’s National Resource Operations Center (NROC) were being delivered to Region III to “ensure readiness to respond to any request from the affected LGUs,” Taguiwalo said.

In Region IV-A, the local field office has prepositioned 1,000 family food packs in Rizal, and 897 food packs in Batangas. 

In Metro Manila, the department has monitored flooding in Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, and Quezon City but no residential areas were affected and no evacuation were reported.

Taguiwalo continues to ask citizens who have not received assistance to coordinate with concerned DSWD offices in their regions and report the extent of assistance they need.

Typhoon Butchoy did not make landfall and left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday, July 8, but it enhanced the southwest monsoon causing massive rains and floods in the country’s northern regions. – Rappler.com