The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has so far provided P2.89 million worth of relief items to families affected by the intense rainfall in Mindanao due to the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), an agency official reported on Sunday.

“In line with the order of our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are continuing to coordinate with LGUs so that we can provide immediate assistance and comfort to the affected families,” DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, said in a news release.

From May 15 to 18, the effects of ITCZ have impacted families from Regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), 11 (Davao Region), 12 (Soccsksargen) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Dumlao said the DSWD Field Offices (FOs) in the affected regions are on high alert to ensure that family food packs (FFPs) and essential non-food items immediately reach the disaster-hit families.

The DSWD’s FO-Soccsksargen distributed on Saturday FFPs to 376 families in flood-hit Barangay Poblacion in the municipality of Carmen in Cotabato.

Edna, a 40-year-old resident who was among the recipients, thanked the DSWD for the prompt response.

“We are very grateful to DSWD-12 for the immediate assistance provided to us. The family food packs we received were a great relief amidst the floods we suffered,” Edna said.

The DSWD FO-Zamboanga Peninsula also swiftly delivered relief aid to various barangays in Kumalarang, Zamboanga Del Sur, where heavy rains led to flash floods and landslides.

“So far, we have already delivered 1,315 boxes of family food packs to affected residents in Kumalarang and also in Bacungan, one of the most affected municipalities in Zamboanga Del Norte,” Dumlao said.

She said the agency is continuously coordinating with affected LGUs for any requests for resource augmentation.

The DSWD FOs in Mindanao maintain P12 million in standby funds and 419,645 FFPs, which are ready to be tapped for disaster response operations.