Mandaue, Talisay fire victims get aid

CEBU, Philippines — Fire-affected families in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, and Barangay Cansojong, Talisay City, received relief from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-7 throughout March.

This assistance reached ?12.4 million, consisting of food and non-food items and cash aid, through the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) in collaboration with various government offices.

For Barangay Looc, DSWD-7 has provided ?10.1 million worth of assistance, which included the delivery of 1,356 family food packs and 470 sleep kits in collaboration with Ako Bisaya Partylist, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, the Office of Senator Mark Villar, and a cash aid amounting to ?8.7 million for all the affected families.

The Mandaue City local government also provided ?18.6 million worth of assistance to their affected constituents, such as meals, water, medical support, and others. Based on DSWD-7's Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information, and Communications (DROMIC) report published last March 28, the fire incident in Looc last March 12 affected 515 families, or 1,677 individuals, with 13 houses destroyed and 357 partially damaged.

The Office of Mandaue City Lone District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano Dizon also distributed a total of ?4.225 million from DSWD to the affected families. Each house owner received ?10,000 while renters or sharers got ?5,000 each.

Earlier, Dizon and her husband Opao barangay captain and former Mandaue Host Lion Club past president Nixon “Jojo” Dizon, Provincial Board Member Jonkie Ouano, and some Mandaue City councilors distributed towels, slippers, sliced bread, among others, to fire victims.

Meanwhile, fire-affected families in Barangay Cansojong received ?2.3 million in assistance consisting of 369 family food packs, 127 10L bottled water, 127 family kits, and 129 sleep kits, still in collaboration with Ako Bisaya Partylist and the Office of Senator Mark Villar.

The families also received cash assistance of ?1.57 million through AICS and the office of Cebu 1st District Rep. Rhea Gullas.

DSWD-7's DROMIC report published on March 23, recorded 129 affected families, or 550 individuals, with 125 destroyed and three partially-damaged houses, after the fire last March 19.

The local government unit of Talisay City provided ?1.58 million worth of assistance to affected constituents, which includes meals, drinking water, and emergency shelter assistance. — (FREEMAN)