MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has disbursed assistance amounting to P22.3 million so far for victims of tropical storm Paeng, the agency said in a statement on Sunday.

The amount covers food packs and non-food relief items distributed to 1.2 million individuals who were affected by the onslaught of Paeng, the statement read.

“DSWD is ready. We have food items. We have non-food items. We have cash,” Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said.

“As of 6 AM of October 30, the DSWD has stockpiles and standby funds amounting to more than Php1.4 billion.”

So far, nearly 40,000 families are still staying in some 1,870 evacuation centers in different parts of the country, the agency said.

• Paeng leaves 48 dead, more than 900,000 affected: NDRRMC

The government has recorded a total of 669 damaged houses from the Cordillera, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Davao, Soccsksargen and Caraga, it said.

On Saturday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the DSWD to “continue the deployment and distribution of additional family food packs and water to affected residents.”

The national Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) had recommended the declaration of a national state of calamity for an entire year after the typhoon hit 16 of 17 regions in the Philippines.

• NDRRMC recommends nationwide, yearlong state of calamity due to Paeng

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