DSWD preps 3M food packs, cash-for-work for fisherfolk

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned three million boxes of family food packs across 938 warehouses nationwide as part of its wet season contingency plan.

Claudio Villareal, chief of DSWD-5's Disaster Response Management Division, revealed an increase from 50,000 to between 150,000 and 200,000 family food packs this year for the Bicol region alone.

Villareal highlighted the strategic placement of these packs in various areas to ensure quick assistance during disasters when access to remote municipalities is difficult.

The DSWD also introduced a cash-for-work program for fisherfolk affected by severe tropical storm Pepito, covering 28,000 partner-beneficiaries across Camarines Sur.

Beneficiaries will receive PHP415 per day and participate in rehabilitation activities aimed at community development, with payouts expected to begin in the third week of June.

Villareal emphasized that discussions during orientations focused on program objectives and necessary documentation for beneficiaries.