Aid for flood-hit Mindanao reaches P84M

MANILA, Philippines—More than P84 million worth of relief aid was poured into calamity-struck areas in Northern Mindanao as the eve of 2012 nears, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) said in its latest update Friday.

A total of P84,776,868.39 from the combined resources of the NDRRMC, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), non-government organizations (NGOs), and local government units (LGUs)  was provided to the flood-devastated areas in regions VII (Central Visayas), IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), X (Northern Mindanao), XI (Davao Region), CARAGA, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Bulk of the relief assistance went to Region X (Northern Mindanao), which received P63,992,884.82.

Misamis Oriental province got P27,139,787.83 while Cagayan de Oro City alone received P24,688,229.43.

Lanao del Norte province received P16,571,515 and P15,985,850 for Iligan City.

Groups from the international community, private sector, and government donated food and non-food items.

The AECID Spanish Agency for International Development Corporation provided assorted relief goods worth P5,460,976.14

Italy gave 3,100 4×6-meter Tarpaulins, 580 common tarpaulins, 286 25 square meter tents, 6,000 jerry cans that can contain 10 liters of water each, and eight 8 water-purifier units that have a capacity of four cubic meters per hour.

Good Neighbors International organization of South Korea donated 4,000 Hygiene kits.

Petron oil company donated 8,000 hotdogs and sandwiches, 8,150 t-shirts, 16,606 pieces of bottled water, and 80 water drums.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) gave resource materials or play kits to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Cities. Cagayan de Oro received 13 sets and Iligan received 15 sets while 29 sets have yet to be distributed.

Noche Buena packs were distributed by DSWD’s local field offices. Cagayan de Oro received 13,656 packs, Iligan received 15,000 packs, Valencia received 1,180 packs, and Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental got 150 packs.

The Department of Agriculture distributed 32 sacks of used clothing, 18 cartons of sardines, four bags of sugar, two sacks of assorted vegetables, 18 boxes of noodles and 38 sacks of packed goods to various barangays in Cagayan de Oro.

The DSWD has also allocated P206,360,000 for the construction of core shelters at a resettlement site owned by Xavier University in Zone 3, Barangay Lumba, Cagayan de Oro city.

The DSWD, in cooperation with NGOs such as Child Fund, World Vision, Philippine Service of Mercy Foundation Inc, and Hope World Wide Philippines, has also been conducting counseling to relatives of the victims and survivors.

Other regions that received relief assistance were Region VII (Negros Oriental) which received P18,031,592.57, Region IX (Zamboanga del Norte) which received P446,342, Region XI (Compostela Valley) which received P224,00, CARAGA region which received P229,000, and Lanao del Sur province of ARMM which received P1,853,049.