DSWD allocates P22.09 million for Auring survivors

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has allocated P22.09 million in standby funds for survivors of Tropical Storm Auring, Secretary Rolando Bautista said in a pre-recorded briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte which aired late Tuesday.

The DSWD is ready to augment the funds with P459.8 million more in case its field office in the Caraga Region would face a shortage of funds, Bautista added.

The DSWD has so far distributed 3,500 food packs to Surigao del Sur residents, and 15,000 more were already prepositioned in the province.

Bautista said 8,000 food packs were already sent to the field office in Caraga, while 7,000 were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

A total of 3,658 families, meanwhile, will be given a P3,000 cash assistance — or a total of P10.9 million.

Those whose houses were destroyed by the storm will receive P30,000 cash assistance while those whose houses were only partially damaged will get P15,000, Bautista said.

“As a whole, we have enough funds and family food packs to support the victims of the typhoon,” Bautista said.

Earlier, Office of Civil Defense chief Ricardo Jalad said 29,000 families, or 112,734 individuals, were affected by the storm, citing data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

A total of 240 houses were damaged, 60 of which were totally damaged and 180 partially damaged, he added.

On Monday, Auring weakened from a tropical depression to a low pressure area, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Most areas in the country can expect better weather starting Wednesday due to the dissipation of the storm into a low-pressure area.

[atm]