Communities submerged in floodwater and hit by landslides due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or habagat, were discussed one by one during a situation briefing held on Monday.

The briefing was attended by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, and other Cabinet members.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave strict orders to the DSWD to ensure that aid reaches all those affected by the flooding caused by habagat.

"The President also ordered that all affected residents, especially those in far-flung areas, be reached immediately," said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.

The President also wants assistance extended to residents who have already returned to their homes from evacuation centers.

According to DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, 16,135 families remain in evacuation centers, while 11,363 have already returned to their homes.

The agency has distributed 54,370 family food packs and more than 2,000 ready-to-eat food packs, on top of nearly one million pesos in financial aid already given out.

The DSWD assured that its stockpiled supplies are sufficient to assist those in need. According to the secretary, 4.9 million family food packs and more than 245,000 non-food items are on standby.

"So, we are ready. This is the largest stockpile the country has since we started doing this system. You can check last year hindi ganiyan kalaki iyan, we keep on growing it alinsunod na rin sa utos ng ating Pangulo to make sure that we preposition before typhoon, earthquake, volcano or any type of disaster happens," Gatchalian said.

Meanwhile, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the President directed him to continue anti-flood projects, including the large-scale clearing of waterways and ensuring that pumping stations, particularly in Metro Manila, are in good working condition.

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