Families affected by the armed conflict between members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Batangas City are set to receive early recovery interventions to assist them as they return to their normal lives.

Based on the reports received by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from their Field Office in CALABARZON, the Batangas City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has already conducted an assessment meeting with concerned agencies to identify and recommend early recovery interventions for the affected families in four barangays in the affected city.

Currently, one evacuation center is open to serve 113 displaced families or 490 persons in Batangas City, while 14 families or 52 persons are staying outside the evacuation center.

The DSWD FO-CALABARZON already sent non-food items (NFI) amounting to P275,212.06, composed of 500 pieces of malong, sleeping mats and kitchen utensils for the displaced locals, while the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWDO) of Batangas and Philippine Red Cross-Batangas Chapter provided family food packs (FFPs).

Moreover, the provincial and city government is providing psychosocial processing to aid the affected locals to cope with the trauma and stress brought by the conflict.

Feuding families

In another report, the DSWD is also monitoring a social disorganization brought by feuding families in Barangay Lamud and Barangay Biarong, South Upi, Maguindanao.

As of 6PM yesterday, 259 families or 777 persons are currently affected by the incident.

The DSWD Disaster Response Assistance and Management Bureau (DReAMB) is continuously coordinating with DSWD-FO XII for significant reports on assistance and relief efforts for the affected locals. ###