The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), through its concerned Field Offices (FOs), has started to provide relief assistance to families and individuals who have been affected by Tropical Storm ‘Urduja,” which continues to cause heavy rains resulting to severe flooding in Eastern Visayas provinces and in Northeastern parts of Mindanao.

According to the 1PM report released by the DSWD Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB), the weather disturbance has affected a total of 35,188 families or 158,700 individuals in 326 barangays in Regions V, VIII and CARAGA.

Of this number, 8,997 families or 39,375 persons are currently staying in 144 evacuation centers in the regions, the bulk of which is located in Region VIII in the provinces of Eastern and Western Samar.

DSWD FO VIII today released 1,040 Family Food Packs (FFPs); 2,080 pieces of malong; 2,080 hygiene kits;  and 20 sacks of clothing as augmentation support to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Tacloban City to help it respond to the needs of the affected families. The city has been placed under state of calamity due to widespread flooding and landslides caused by the tropical storm.

The field office has also released 894 FFPs; 1,788 pieces of malong; and 1,788 hygiene kits to the Municipality of Giporlos in Eastern Samar and 1,726 each of food packs, malong, and hygiene kits to the Municipality of Barugo in Leyte.

Meanwhile, the Department’s field office in the CARAGA Region has already prepositioned 2,575 FFPs in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur and in the island municipalities of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.

The FO also maintains 15, 107 FFPs at the Tiniwisan Warehouse in Butuan City, Augusan Del Norte, ready for augmentation when needed. It has also 6,000 FFPs placed at the mobile storage unit in Placer, Surigao del Norte.

DSWD field offices in Regions MIMAROPA and V have also been monitoring the status of the 7,120 stranded passengers at different ports in the regions in close coordination with concerned local government units (LGUs).

The Department remains on red alert status as it continues to monitor the status of families who have been affected by ‘Urduja” and is coordinating closely with LGUs for the provision of any augmentation support. ###