SOME P1.57 million worth of food and non-food relief items have been distributed to close to 2,000 families affected by the flooding and continuous rainfall in four regions in Mindanao, data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) showed.
Monitoring by the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Management, Information, and Communication (DROMIC) as of Wednesday morning showed that 1,936 families or 7,211 persons from Regions IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), X (Northern Mindanao), XI (Davao), and XII (Socscksargen) have been affected by the flash floods brought by scattered rain and thunderstorms caused by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
A total of P1.57 million worth of assistance was provided to the affected families, which includes P952,495 worth of aid from the DSWD and P105,000 from local government units (LGUs).
Pre-emptive evacuation was initially implemented in Lanao del Norte due to the heavy rains that started on May 15.
The evacuees have returned to their respective homes since, but there are still 1,358 families or 5,301 persons who are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.
DSWD said 105 houses were damaged in Regions IX and X.
Flooding had occurred in several areas in Mindanao due to the scattered rain and thunderstorms caused by the ITCZ from May 15 to 19. Among those affected were Barangay Nangcaon in Opol in Misamis Oriental, Barangay Baluntay in Alabel in Sarangani, Barangay Bunawan in Davao City and several barangays in Kumalarang in Zamboanga del Sur.
Kumalarang has been placed under a state of emergency due to severe flooding over the weekend, based on the recommendation made by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO).
