Latest news with #IreneDumlao
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
Over 3,000 families in Bulacan, Zamboanga City affected by Habagat, LPA
More than 3,000 families in Bulacan and in Zamboanga City were affected by the rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, and the low pressure area (LPA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Monday. 'More than 8,600 na individuals or equivalent of more than 2,500 na mga pamilya sa 18 barangays sa Bulacan apektado naman ng Habagat at low pressure area [...] And 4,340 na mga individuals or more than 1,200 families in 14 barangays sa Zamboanga City yung naapektuhan ng habagat at low pressure area,' said DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. (More than 8,600 individuals or equivalent to more than 2,500 families in 18 Bulacan are affected by the Habagat and the low pressure area [...] And 4,340 individuals or more than 1,200 families in 14 barangays in Zamboanga City are also affected.) The DSWD official said t65 houses were damaged: 64 in Zamboanga City and one in Bulacan. Further, the department said it distributed P549,000 worth of food and non-food items to affected families. 'Sa kasalukuyan, yung ating standby funds at stockpile ay nagkakahalaga ng P3.2 billion. Yung family food packs natin ay nasa mahigit 2.9, actually close to 3 million family food packs po 'yan,' said Dumlao. (Currently, our standby funds and stockpile is worth P3.2 billion. The family food packs we have now are 2.9 million or close to 3 million items.) Kanlaon Meanwhile, the DSWD continues to provide assistance to the families affected by the unrest of Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island, with lahar flows being recorded due to the rains. 'Nasa mahigit 2,400 na pamilya or more than 7,800 individuals ay pansamantala naninirahan sa mga evacuation centers sa Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental,' said Dumlao. (More than 2,400 families or more than 7,800 individuals are temporarily seeking shelter in the evacuation centers in Negros Occidental and in Negros Oriental.) The department has provided P185 million worth of assistance to the affected residents. It added that it is also in talks regarding the relocation of the displaced families. 'In terms of other interventions for their recovery, kasama natin ang Task Force Kanlaon sa pagbubuo ng mga programa kasama na diyan yung permanenteng relocation sites…ilan lang po yan sa pinag uusapan sa task force,' she said. (In terms of other interventions for their recovery, we are working with Task Force Kanlaon in creating a program which includes permanent relocation sites.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
DSWD: 3M boxes of family food packs prepositioned for possible storm
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday said its Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) is now on blue alert status as it monitors the development of the low pressure area (LPA) spotted east of Guiuan, Eastern Visayas. In line with this, the DSWD said it has prepositioned three million boxes of family food packs (FFPs), with over 360,000 non-food items, in the different hubs, spokes, and last miles across the country, in line with the directive of Secretary Rex Gatchalian. 'Following the order from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), DSWD's DRCC is now fully activated to monitor and prepare for any possible effects of the weather disturbance,' said Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG). Apart from the prepositioned relief items, response teams in the different DSWD Field Offices are on standby and in close coordination with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), NDRRMC, and local government units (LGUs), according to the agency. Even during the celebration of Eid'l Adha, the DSWD said its Quick Response Team (QRT) held a duty briefing and agency personnel continue their work to ensure that timely help will reach communities when needed. 'Our duty to serve does not pause for holidays. Gaya nga ng laging sinasabi ni Secretary Gatchalian, 365 days, hindi tumitigil ang disaster preparation ng DSWD. We remain on alert to make sure that our fellow Filipinos, especially the vulnerable, are safe and supported during times of uncertainty,' DSWD spokesperson Dumlao said. The DSWD reminded the public to stay alert and monitor periodic announcements from local authorities. PAGASA said early Saturday morning that there was still a "medium" chance for the LPA off the Catanduanes coast to develop into a tropical depression. At 3 a.m., the LPA was located 240 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes, bringing cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms to the Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Davao Region, Aurora, and Quezon. The NDRRMC raised the Operations Center alert status to blue at 3 p.m. Friday in response to the said LPA. According to a statement on Friday, NDRRMC is aiming to mitigate the impact of widespread rains, flooding, and rain-induced landslides caused by the LPA and the Southwest Monsoon. All Regional and Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (R/LDRRMCs), as well as OCD Regional Offices, have been instructed to implement their minimum preparedness checklists, which include the activation of several response teams, the preparation of emergency resources, and the establishment of communication systems. Officials from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine National Police (PNP) will also be mandated to render duty for immediate response. —Ted Cordero/KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
26-05-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
DSWD distributes P4-M humanitarian aid to flood-hit areas in Mindanao
Around P4 million worth of humanitarian assistance has been provided to several provinces in Mindanao that were affected by the floods caused by the rains brought by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said. 'Nasa close to P4 million worth of humanitarian assistance ang ating napapahatid sa probinsiya ng Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, gayun din sa Misamis Oriental, sa North Cotabato, sa Saranggani, sa Sultan Kudarat,' said DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on Monday. (We are delivering close to P4 million worth of humanitarian assistance to the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, as well as Misamis Oriental, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat.) 'Ongoing ang ating coordination with various local government units para tayo ay makapaghatid ng karagdagan pang mga tulong sa mga naapektuhan,' she added. (We are currently coordinating with various local government units so that we can deliver additional assistance to those affected.) The DSWD said that over 57,000 families or more than 176,000 individuals in 143 barangays in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the Bangsamoro Region were affected. The agency noted that Maguindanao del Sur has the most number of affected families with more than 50,000 of them coming from 110 barangays. Further, the DSWD said that it has thousands of food packs in its warehouses that are prepositioned for each of the affected regions: Zamboanga Peninsula (over 79,000), Northern Mindanao (over 112,000), Northern Mindanao (over 123,000), and SOCCSKSARGEN (over 109,000). 'Kung kinakailangan ma-replenish itong mga stockpiles natin, 'yung ating National Resource Operations Center at ang Visayas Disaster Response Center ay nagpapahatid naman po ng karagdagang family food packs and non-food items. Sa katunayan, nasa close to 3 million 'yung national stockpile natin,' said Dumlao. (If our stockpiles need to be replenished, our National Resource Operations Center and the Visayas Disaster Response Center are delivering additional family food packs and non-food items. In fact, our national stockpile is close to 3 million.) Aside from food packs, non-food items that the DSWD has provided are sleeping packs, hygiene kits, and kitchen kits. The state weather bureau PAGASA earlier said the country is already transitioning to a wet season. But it noted that there are parameters to consider before declaring the start of the rainy season. According to PAGASA, at least 25 mm of rainfall should be experienced for five days, with at least 1 mm for three consecutive days, for the wet season to be officially declared. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/AOL, GMA Integrated News
