P20M in relief goods given to families displaced by storm Mario

Residents continue to be housed in evacuation centers Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014 in Marikina city east of Manila, Philippines. AP

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development has distributed P20 million in relief assistance to areas hit by tropical storm Mario.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency said it has provided 45,371 family food packs worth P20.1 million to augment the relief activities of affected local government units.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the tropical storm left a total of 189,608 families or 797,729 people from nine regions reeling from its damage as of 4 a.m., Sunday.

Of this figure, 36,268 families or 161,745 people are still seeking shelter in 380 evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, Soliman said assessment teams have reported 863 damaged houses, of which 117 were totally destroyed while 746 were partially damaged by the tropical storm.

In Metro Manila, there are 59 evacuation centers still open to 6,349 families or 28,071 people.

“The number of temporary shelters in Metro Manila have gone down to almost half as the evacuees started to return home after Mario’s onslaught ended,” Soliman said.

In Northern Luzon, there are 33 evacuation centers temporarily housing 1,003 families or 3,833 people while in Central Luzon, 114 evacuation centers house 17,294 families or 79,315 people.

In Southern Luzon, 127 evacuation centers are still open to 10,551 families or 45,860 people as of Sunday.

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