The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to work closely with concerned local government units (LGUs) to ensure that relief assistance and other needed services are immediately extended to families affected by the tremors that hit Luzon and Visayas on April 22 and 23, respectively.

In Central Luzon, which was greatly affected by the 6.1-magnitude earthquake on April 22, DSWD Field Office (FO) III augmented 1289 Family Food Packs (FFPs) to the local government of Floridablanca; 782 FFPs and 702 sleeping and hygiene kits to Porac; and 55 food packs to Guagua, all in the province of Pampanga. It also delivered 250 food packs to San Marcelino, Zambales and 388 FFPs to DSWD Provincial Extension Office in Olongapo City, Zambales for distribution to the affected families. The FO also distributed food packs and provided critical stress debriefing to the Aetas from Barangay Diaz, Porac who evacuated to nearby Barangay Babo Pangulo. The Aetas were displaced after a landslide hit their village.

DSWD FO III also extended financial assistance of ₱5,000 each to 14 injured individuals from the towns of Porac, Floridablanca, Lubao, Mexico, and Angeles City.

Disaster teams from the FO are also currently assisting LGU social workers in responding to the needs of the survivors and the bereaved families of those who perished in the collapsed Chuzon Supermarket in Porac. The bereaved families were given burial assistance of ₱5,000 each.

The FO has already put up a 24-hour information and help desk at the site for a more effective provision of assistance and other interventions to the survivors and bereaved families.

As of 4PM on May 2, 3,630 families or 18,086 persons in 41 barangays have been affected by the quake in Central Luzon. Of this, 692 families or 2,962 individuals are currently staying in three evacuation centers set up by the LGUs, while 951 families families or 4,756 persons are currently staying with their relatives and friends.

The FO also reported that 4,375 houses have been damaged by the quake; of which, 1,046 were totally damaged, while 3,329 were partially damaged.

DSWD has so far provided a total of ₱2,451,423.50 to the affected families.

The Department assured the public that it has enough relief supplies to augment the resources of LGUs in responding to the needs of their quake-affected constituents.  DSWD Central Office, FOs, and National Resource Operations Center have stockpiles and standby funds amounting to ₱2,232,962,750.20. ###