The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is closely coordinating with Marilog District, Davao City for the provision of assistance to some 1,008 families or 4,785 persons who were affected by the armed conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) in the boundary of Barangays Suawan and Salaysay.

Two houses were also reportedly totally damaged due to the fighting which occurred on March 25.

The DSWD has already provided P283,906.14 worth of relief assistance to augment the resources of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Davao City, which extended P48,050 in food assistance.

To date,  the 132 family-evacuees have reportedly returned to their homes after the AFP declared the area secured. The DSWD, however,  in coordination with the LGU, continues to monitor their situation and is prepared to provide additional assistance, if necessary.

In a related development in Antipas, Cotabato, the 309 families or 1,545 persons who evacuated following a skirmish between the AFP and the NPA on March 23 have also returned to their homes.

DSWD- Field Office XII extended 200 family food packs and  40 pieces of Malong  as augmentation assistance to the LGU.  The food packs and malong served as ‘pabaon’ to the returning families.

Aside from the DSWD assistance,   the LGU of Antipas also extended pabaon of 40 sacks of commercial rice. The Philippine Red Cross, on the other hand, gave  94 hygiene kits and 95 water jugs while ASA Philippine Foundation, a non-government organization,  extended 237 family food packs. ###