The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided relief assistance to 1,300 families in Malabon City who lost their homes in a fire last Wednesday.
To date, the Department has provided a total of P471,913.00 worth of assistance to the affected families to augment the resources of the Local Government Unit (LGU).
The said affected families or 6,500 residents at Sitio 6, Catmon and Riverside of Flovihomes, Brgy. Tonsuya, Malabon City found themselves running for safety when the fire flared up in the area at around 5 pm on February 8, burning down 700 houses.
The fire, which lasted for six hours, reached the second alarm and spread quickly as the houses in the area were made from light materials. According to reports, it is believed to have started from a water-refilling station.
As of today’s 2:00pm disaster monitoring, there are 560 families or 2,800 persons still staying in four evacuation centers (ECs) in the area, namely: Catmon Covered Court, Catmon Integrated School, Tonsuya Covered Court, and the Multipurpose Hall of Tonsuya.
The DSWD-Field Office National Capital Region (NCR) gave 1,300 family food packs and 6,500 pieces of bottled water to the LGU for distribution to the evacuees.
Meanwhile, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) of Malabon City immediately coordinated with concerned agencies and conducted an assessment of the affected families. The office also provided hot meals to the residents three times a day.
DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said that the DSWD is always ready to assist the LGUs in extending help to their constituents who have been affected by disasters or accidents.
“While the LGU is the first responder during times of disasters, the DSWD is always on stand-by to augment the resources of LGUs requesting for assistance for their constituents,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.
“We, in DSWD, also appeal to the public to take part in helping the survivors of the fire incident and to give what they can in the spirit of bayanihan,” she said.
The DSWD continuously monitors the status of the evacuees to ensure the provision of their basic needs in coordination with the CSWDO. ###
