FIVE DAVAO provinces received P130 million in financial assistance from the Office of the President to assist the families affected by flooding and landslides due to the shear line and low-pressure area over the past weeks.
The provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao de Oro received P30 million each, while Davao City and Davao Occidental received P20 million each.
President Marcos Jr. ordered the immediate release of the financial assistance from the president’s social civic fund during the situation briefing at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Panacan, Feb. 7.
“From the reports that we have had, I think we are already doing the distribution of food packs, etc. but as the DSWD Secretary was explaining, it gets to the point na hindi lang pagkain ang kailangan ng tao, they need to buy other things for the household,” the president said.
The P130 million was part of the total P265 million provided by the presidential office. The rest was given to other cities and provinces heavily affected.
The province of Agusan del Sur received (P30-M); Surigao del Sur (P25-M); Maguindanao del Sur (P25-M); Butuan City (P20-M); Agusan del Norte (P15-M); while Cotabato and Bukidnon provinces received P10-M each.
“I released the P265 million to make sure that the phase of the response is immediate and maramdaman kaagad ng mga tao mayroon kaagad silang tulong at mayroon silang gagamitin sa pangangailangan nila,” the president added.
Rex Gatchalian, Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary said the financial assistance is on top of the emergency cash transfer (ECT) financial assistance to be provided to the families affected.
Gatchalian said the office started the payout on Feb. 6 in Davao del Norte. Governor representatives from other provinces present during the briefing were told to submit the official list to DSWD to start the release of ECT payouts in their respective areas.
As of Feb. 7, some 500 families from Cabayangan in the municipality of Braulio E. Dujali; and 1,664 from San Miguel, Talomo, Kimamon of the municipality of Sto. Tomas; 1,686 from Carmen have received P9,960 each.
Situation reports
Davao de Oro governor Dorothy Gonzaga reported out of 237 barangays in the province, 138 barangays were affected by the shearline which is equivalent to 139,366 individuals and 64 totally damaged houses.
Meanwhile, 151 barangays were affected by the trough of LPA, equivalent to 157,333 individuals and 160 totally damaged houses.
Gonzaga said an initial grand total cost of P3.6 billion worth of damage to local roads, bridges, and flood control// revetments, which will require a grand total of P8.2 billion worth for repair and rehabilitation.
Governor Niño Uy of Davao Oriental reported a total of 131,345 individuals affected and 1,616 damaged houses by shear line, while 75, 243 individuals affected and 932 houses damaged by trough of LPA.
Uy also reported more than P395 million worth of agricultural damage and P498 million worth of infrastructural damage from both shear line and trough.
Apart from the rehabilitation of facilities, and relocation of families, Uy requested the President for hazard pay for disaster risk reduction and management workers and responders “as they are also risking their lives in these events.”
Davao del Norte governor De Carlo Uy reported a total of 406, 374 individuals affected by the shear line, which also incurred damage to agriculture worth more than P200 million and infrastructural damage worth more than P1.1 billion.
Meanwhile, 521,632 individuals were affected by the trough, P44 million worth of damage to agriculture, P111 million worth of infra damage, one missing individual, and eight casualties.
Davao Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) reported the effects of the easterlies and added more evacuees in the evacuation centers previously utilized by the residents affected by two major earthquakes felt in the last quarter of 2023. Since then, the province has been placed in a state of calamity.
Three municipalities from the province: Sta. Maria, Malita, and Don Marcelino were affected, which is equivalent to 3,200 individuals.
Rodrigo Bustillo, City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office operations chief, reported that 14 barangays and 5,531 in total were affected by flooding, and 37 individuals were affected by mass wasting caused, leaving two casualties.
Meanwhile, 156,772 individuals were reportedly affected by flooding and landslides from the trough of LPA. Davao City declared 23 barangays under a state of calamity starting Feb. 6.
