DSWD distributes P2.5-M calamity response

At least 3,854 people were displaced in Zamboanga City, 26,748 people in Zamboanga del Norte and about 13,657 people in Basilan province due to heavy rains brought about by shear line rains

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Field Office 9 on Tuesday announced that it has already provided at least P2.5 million in humanitarian assistance to over 44,000 flood victims in Mindanao last month.

DSWD-9 director Riduan Hadjimuddin disclosed that the agency has assisted a total of 44,259 persons and has spent P2,492,670.38 in humanitarian assistance.

In his report to DSWD Undersecretary Marco Bautista, Hadjimuddin said that rains caused by the shear line which started on Christmas Eve affected 13 barangays in Zamboanga City, 39 barangays in five towns and two cities in Zamboanga del Norte and 16 barangays in Lamitan City and Isabela City in Basilan province.

He added that at least 3,854 people were displaced in Zamboanga City, 26,748 people in Zamboanga del Norte and about 13,657 people in Basilan province due to heavy rains brought about by shear line rains.

The hardest hit by floods was Dapitan City with 16 barangays affected, sending16,200 people to evacuation centers while Lamitan City had seven villages affected and about 12,365 people displaced.

The floods also destroyed 320 houses and of the total, 289 houses were reported in Isabela City, 17 in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte and 13 in Zamboanga City.

The DSWD-9 field office has also extended 150 Family Food Packs to flood victims in Zamboanga City worth P81,973.50, for the five towns and two cities in Zamboanga del Norte, DSWD-9 extended 1,540 FFPs worth P841,594.60 and for the cities of Lamitan and Isabela in Basilan province were allotted 2,801 FFPs worth P1,530,718.49.

Financial assistance of P10,000 per family was also granted to the families of four people who died in flash floods — one each from Zamboanga City and Zamboanga del Norte and two from Basilan province.

Hadjimuddin also expressed his gratitude to the Philippine Coast Guard here which assisted the local government in transporting 2,801 FFPs to Basilan province through the PCG patrol craft.

He assured that the agency has enough FFPs to serve victims of natural calamities as the DSWD-9 has on stock 29,875 FFPs and several non-food items to serve victims of calamities any time of the year.