The government, along with local authorities, has disbursed PHP170.5 million in aid to families affected by the eruption of Mount Kanlaon on December 9, as reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Wednesday. The aid distribution includes PHP109.9 million allocated to Central Visayas and PHP60.5 million to Western Visayas, according to the latest updates from the agency.
The assistance package comprises family food packs, hygiene and sleeping kits, modular tents, financial aid, filtration kits, and generator sets. This relief has reached 10,026 families across the two regions, with 7,545 families in Western Visayas and 2,481 in Central Visayas. The total number of affected families stands at 12,285, residing in 27 barangays within these regions.
Currently, 3,165 families are taking shelter in 23 evacuation centers, while 2,408 families are receiving support outside these facilities. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been actively involved in the relief efforts, with the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) dispatching an additional 16,500 food packs to Negros Island, aiming to reach a total of 100,000 family food packs for the Kanlaon relief operations.
DSWD spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) confirmed that over 73,000 boxes of family food packs have been dispatched since January 12. She emphasized that these efforts are in line with the directives of DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to prepare for potential volcanic activity from Kanlaon.
In addition to food distribution, DSWD 6 (Western Visayas) has been collaborating with the local government unit of La Castellana in Negros Occidental to assess potential evacuation centers at Talaptap Elementary School and Nato Soliguen Elementary School on January 14. The assessments focused on the availability of classrooms, water and energy sources, and portable toilets to ensure these facilities can adequately support displaced residents.
Meanwhile, the Quick Response Team (QRT) from the Central Visayas Field Office has been monitoring the conditions of evacuees in Canlaon City, ensuring continuous aid for their daily needs. As of the latest reports, the DSWD has provided PHP77.6 million in humanitarian assistance to the affected families and individuals from the 27 barangays in Western and Central Visayas.