Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office XII staff ride a boat just to reach and deliver relief assistance to residents affected by flooding in Northern and Southern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.

Apart from continuously assisting the families displaced by the still ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is also attending to the needs of residents in Maguindanao who have been affected by the latest heavy flooding in the province.

As of 6 am yesterday, the flooding incident has affected a total of 45,495 families or 227,475 persons who mostly opted to stay at home in their submerged houses, while others took shelter with their relatives and friends. The highest number of affected families was recorded in the Municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat (formerly Dinaig) with 5,796 or 28,980 individuals followed by Sultan Sa Barongis (formerly Lambayong) with 4,467 families or 22,335 persons.

DSWD Field Office (FO) in Region XII has been providing assistance to the affected residents in 17 municipalities. Yesterday, the field office’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) team delivered Family Food Packs (FFPs) to hard-to-reach barangays in Northern and Southern Kabuntalan.  The team had to ride a boat to reach the barangays and deliver the assistance, as flood waters have not subsided yet.

FO XII also extended financial assistance worth P10,000 to each family of the two children who accidentally drowned in Southern Kabuntalan  and in Northern Kabuntalan. Northern Kabuntalan Mayor MaryJane Bayam-Dilangalen also provided aid to the grieving families.

“Patuloy ang pagbibigay natin ng tulong sa mga pamilyang apektado ng armadong tunggalian sa Marawi, at hindi rin natin nakakalimutan ang paghahatid ng ayuda sa iba pa nating kababayang apektado ng ibang sakuna, katulad ng malawakang pagbaha sa Maguindanao (While we continue to assist families affected by the armed conflict in Marawi, we are also extending aid to other citizens who have been experiencing other disasters, such as those affected by the recent heavy flooding in Maguindanao),” DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa mga kawani ng DSWD sa ating field offices na maagap na sinasaklolohan ang ating mga kababayang nagigipit. Hindi nila alintana ang pagod at panganib na dala ng trabaho maiabot lamang ang tulong na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan (We thank the staff and officials of the DSWD field offices who promptly respond to the needs of our fellow citizens in crisis situations,  unmindful of the dangers that their jobs entail just to extend help),” she added.

To date, the DSWD has provided a total of P1,450,440 worth of assistance to the flood-affected families through concerned local government units. ###