DSWD: Over P16M in humanitarian aid provided amid Enteng

Over P16 million worth of humanitarian assistance has already been provided to over 300,000 individuals in multiple provinces affected by the Tropical Storm Enteng, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Tuesday.

Speaking on the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said, "This morning (over) P16 million worth of humanitarian assistance were already provided. (But) as the reports are coming in from our field offices, we are expecting this number… to increase."

The DSWD said that over 80,000 families or more than 303,000 individuals were affected by the tropical cyclone. They are from:

• National Capital Region
• Cagayan Valley (Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino)
• Central Luzon (Aurora, Bulacan)
• Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon Province)
• Bicol region (Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon)
• Western Visayas (Antique and Negros Occidental)
• Central Visayas (Cebu City)
• Eastern Visayas  (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Western Samar)

Initial assistance from DSWD, Dumlao said, has reached Metro Manila, Albay, Camarines Sur, Antique, Negros Occidental, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, and Western Samar.

"As of this morning, nasa mahigit 150,000 na mga food packs na request ng mga various local government units and we are expecting additional requests to be coming in especially from the northern part of our country," the DSWD spokesperson added.

(As of this morning, we have already received over 150,000 requests for food packs from various local government units and we are expecting additional requests to be coming in especially from the northern part of the country.)

According to a report in Unang Balita earlier in the day, the DSWD assured that there are enough supplies to affected individuals as it starts the distribution of the relief packs.

As of 11 a.m., Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2 was raised over some portions of Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte as Enteng re-intensifies.

The weather disturbance is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Wednesday morning, the state weather bureau PAGASA said. — VDV, GMA Integrated News