An aerial shot taken from a Philippine Army helicopter by a Davao de Oro Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office personnel on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2023, shows the extent of the damage caused by floods in the town of Monkayo of the province. (Photo from the Davao de Oro Provincial Government)
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday said that it has enough resources on standby to aid Mindanao folk displaced or affected by flooding due to the trough or extension of a low pressure area (LPA).
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier reported that some 324 areas in Mindanao remain flooded due to the weather system.
“We assure our kababayans (compatriots) affected in Mindanao that the DSWD still has enough stockpile and standby funds available for distribution,” DSWD spokesperson Romel Lopez said in a statement.
“The resources of our nearby field offices can be tapped for immediate delivery if needed,” he added.
READ: Over 187,000 people affected by flooding, landslides in Davao Region
READ: Pagasa: Flooding in parts of Mindanao due to trough of LPA
The DSWD, Lopez said, is coordinating with local government units in inundated areas in the Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga regions, as well as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) to ensure that their field offices have sufficient resources.
DSWD likewise said that it is monitoring the situation of 13,282 families or 49,307 individuals staying in 200 evacuation centers in the Davao and Caraga regions.
Based on the report of DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center released on Wednesday morning, 348,546 families or 1,243,637 individuals across the four regions were displaced by the floods.
It also said that the department had distributed P97,050,299 worth of assistance so far, while P3.299 billion worth of relief resources are still available and are on standby.
NDRRMC on Tuesday said that 18 deaths have so far been reported.