Siargao under state of calamity due to flash floods

MANILA, Philippines - Siargao Island in southern Philippines has been placed under a state of calamity due to flash floods, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Tuesday. An article posted Tuesday night on the DSWD website said areas heavily affected include Sta. Monica and San Benito towns. It said 165 families were affected in San Benito, even as a local DSWD team is still verifying the number of affected families in Sta. Monica town. "The DSWD has sufficient standby funds and stockpile of relief commodities for augmentation assistance to the affected local government units," DSWD secretary Esperanza Cabral said. On the other hand, the DSWD said it has extended help to some 6,298 families affected by flash floods in Cagayan De Oro and Gingoog Cities in Misamis Oriental due to rains brought by tropical depression "Auring." Cabral said the DSWD field office in Region 10 already provided P371,905 worth of 2,290 family food packs as assistance to the victims of flash floods. A family food pack includes food items such as rice, sardines, corned beef, meatloaf, noodles, and milk. "The 6,298 families comprising 29,208 individuals are from the 24 affected barangays in the aforementioned cities. About 3,496 families sought temporary shelter in the 19 evacuation centers which opened and accommodated the displaced families. Other families transferred to their friends' and relatives' houses," the DSWD said. Also, the Quick Response and Social Welfare and Development (QR/SWAD) teams were immediately activated to assist the local government units in data generation, relief distribution, and management of evacuation centers. "The relief operation is ongoing and the DSWD is exerting all efforts in ensuring that all affected families will be given appropriate assistance," Cabral emphasized. - GMANews.TV