PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Sunday ordered the distribution of assistance to victims of heavy flooding in Visayas and Mindanao due to incessant rains caused by the amihan (Northeast monsoon) and “shear line” on Christmas Day.
The shear line is the phenomenon when cold and warm air meet to create thick clouds.
Citing the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said Marcos gave the instruction on Sunday.
The distribution of food packs immediately started in Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao for over 78,000 flood victims.
Of these, 32,458 people were affected by floods in the towns of Jipapad, Oras, Arteche, Mercedes, Taft, Giporlos in Eastern Visayas during the weekend. The other 45,687 individuals were from the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin and Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao.
DSWD has 45,000 food packs and P10 million standby funds to provide aid to the affected individuals in Eastern Visayas.
For Northern Mindanao, it said it will increase its current 12,000 family food packs to accommodate the flood-affected individuals. It has P7.3 million worth of stand-by funds for the said relief operations.
“Apart from family food packs and non-food relief items such as modular tents, medical kits and hygiene kits, the DSWD is also preparing cash assistance to the victims of the calamity under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program,” the OPS said.