ILOILO City – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has disbursed over P11 million in assistance to families affected by the El Niño phenomenon across several municipalities in Western Visayas.
Through the Early Recovery and Rehabilitation Section of its Disaster Response Management Division, DSWD-6 aims to mitigate the impact of this climatic condition with a total aid amounting to P11,081,563.23.
The aid was provided in the first quarter of 2024 under the Food For Work and Food for Training programs, targeting several areas in need.
Municipalities in Aklan, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Antique, and Iloilo received support for the Food for Work initiative, while Sibunag in Guimaras, Carles in Iloilo, along with other areas in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Aklan were beneficiaries under the Food for Training program.
DSWD-6 director, Atty. Carmelo N. Nochete, emphasized the priority of addressing the needs of families impacted by El Niño, committing to aiding their survival and recovery efforts.
The assistance included the distribution of Family Food Packs, with 5,460 packs worth P3,150,157 provided to 5,103 beneficiaries for Food for Training, and 11,893 packs or P7,931,406.23 worth of assistance for Food for Work.
Beneficiaries of the Food for Training program participated in a two-day training session, receiving essential knowledge on managing evacuation centers during emergencies and understanding the significance of disaster response operations monitoring.
In return for their labor in clearing and rehabilitating infrastructure such as roads and canals, participants of the Food for Work program received family food packs.
DSWD’s initiatives are part of a broader effort to support vulnerable and disadvantaged groups during the drought season brought on by the El Niño phenomenon. Training sessions were conducted by a team led by DRMD Chief Erlyn L. Garcia, ensuring participants gained valuable skills for emergency response and recovery./PN
