In a compassionate response to recent fire outbreaks, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Bicol (DSWD-5) has stepped up to support the affected families. Over the weekend, DSWD-5’s Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD) provided crucial aid to five families impacted by fires in Iriga City, Camarines Sur, and Legazpi City, Albay. The total value of the assistance, which included food packs and essential non-food items, amounted to PHP60,000.
The fires left four families in Iriga City and one in Legazpi City without homes, forcing them to seek temporary shelter at the local barangay multi-purpose hall. Each family was provided with two family food packs and a variety of non-food essentials, including hygiene kits, kitchen supplies, sleeping kits, ‘malong’ blankets, collapsible water containers, tarpaulin rolls, and six liters of bottled water.
In addition to the immediate relief, each affected family is set to receive PHP10,000 in financial aid through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, aimed at helping them rebuild their lives.
DSWD-5 also extended its support to the broader community by distributing over PHP4.4 million worth of family food packs to 6,161 fisherfolk from 21 barangays in Garchitorena, Camarines Sur. These families were previously affected by a series of weather disturbances last year, and the food packs are intended to address their immediate nutritional needs as they strive to recover from the setbacks to their livelihoods.