DSWD allots P1.1 billion to aid Karding-hit areas

A P1.1-billion budget was set aside by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for its disaster response and to provide assistance to people affected by Typhoon Karding, its spokesperson Romel Lopez said Monday.

Lopez said the DSWD is currently conducting relief efforts in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, National Capital Region (NCR), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

At least 224,000 family food packs were also prepositioned by the agency to be apportioned in 194 evacuation centers which house over 9,000 individuals.

“Ang kabuuang pondo natin para sa ating disaster response…meron po tayong P1.1 billion para ayudahan ‘yung ang ating mga kababayan. P103 million dito ay quick response funds ng central office ng DSWD, and then ‘yung P43 million ay available na sa Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Region 5, NCR, at CAR,” he said in a public briefing.

(Our total funds for our disaster response is P1.1 billion. P103 million of which are quick response funds of the DSWD central office, and P43 million has been made available in Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Region 5, NCR, and CAR.)

Lopez said the DSWD expects that the P1.1 billion fund would not be exhausted as this is enough to help the affected people by the onslaught of Karding.

However, if it becomes depleted, he said they could ask for immediate augmentation from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“Mga two weeks ago, P1.5 billion po ‘yan. Ito po, nabawasan siyempre kaya P1.1 [billion] na lang ‘yan. Pero hindi po natin talaga nauubos ‘yan. Usually nagagamit natin ‘yung quick response funds natin and ‘yung family food packs,” he said.

(About two weeks ago, that was P1.5 billion. This was reduced to only P1.1 billion. But we don't usually run out of budget. We usually just use our quick response funds and the family food packs.)

“Sa lakas ng pananalasa nitong si Super Typhoon Karding, baka lumobo ‘yung bilang ng apektado nating kababayan. Pero ganu'n pa man, ang DSWD, doon sa ating pondo, nakikita natin na kakayanin naman natin. Kakayanin naman natin silang abutin,” he added.

(With the intensity of Super Typhoon Karding's destruction, the number of our people affected may increase. But with our funds, the DSWD sees that we can handle it and we can reach out to them.)

Typhoon Karding continued to weaken late Monday morning as it moved away from Luzon, leaving only parts of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Zambales under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No.1, according to PAGASA. —KG, GMA News