The Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) continues to assist local government units (LGUs) in Region XII and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which are experiencing drought due to the El Niño phenomenon.

DSWD-Field Office XII has provided 14,622 family food packs amounting to ₱5,263,920 as augmentation assistance to the 21 affected municipalities in Maguindanao, ARMM.

Of these, 10,000 packs amounting to ₱3,600,000 were released through the office of Secretary Lulu Antonino of Mindanao Development Authority (MINDA) for the affected families in General Santos City and 600 packs were sent to families in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat Province.

To date, a total of 125,228 families or 626,140 persons have been affected by the drought in North and South Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat in Region XII and Maguindanao in ARMM.

To ensure that affected families will still have a source of income, Cash-for-Work (CFW) under the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) is being implemented.

The CFW is a short-term measure to help small farmers, forest workers, and farm laborers recover from the impact of losing their livelihood due to the lack of rain.

Under this program, beneficiaries will receive training, render community service utilizing their newly-learned skills, and at the same time earn daily income which is equivalent to 75% of the regional minimum wage.

DSWD-Field Office XII remains in close coordination with the LGUs in the affected areas for other appropriate assistance needed by the affected families.