MANILA, Philippines?The government has begun to distribute bread, hot meals, and canned goods to tide over the victims of Tropical Storm ?Ondoy? (international codename: Ketsana) through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

In a statement, the DSWD said it was distributing food and other basic needs to 46,317 families (232,400 persons) temporarily housed in 358 evacuation centers in Metro Manila and other affected regions.

Food and nonfood commodities such as mats, blankets, and clothes worth more than P2.1 million were being distributed to families in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and the Cordillera Administrative Region, the agency said.

The DSWD said that it was serving 233 evacuation centers in Metro Manila housing 33,248 families or 170,344 persons; two in Region 1 with 71 families or 241 persons; 26 in Region 3 serving 3,444 families or 16,292 persons; 96 in Region 4-A serving 9,610 families or 45,689 persons; and one in Region 12 with 15 families or 75 persons.

Of the evacuation centers in 17 cities in Metro Manila, 42 were in Quezon; 24 each in Valenzuela and Caloocan; 23 in Taguig; 19 in Pateros; 15 in Mandaluyong; 14 in Manila; 13 each in Pasig and Las Piñas; 12 in Malabon; 11 each in Makati and Muntinlupa; 5 in Marikina; 3 in Parañaque; 2 in Navotas; and 1 each in Pasay and San Juan.