DSWD: Over P29.6M worth of aid provided to Karding victims so far

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday said P29.6 million worth of assistance has already been distributed so far to the victims of Typhoon Karding.

“Nasa P29.6 million  na ang naipamahaging tulong ng DSWD. And then katuwang natin dito siyempre ang mga LGUs at ilang pong NGOs,” DSWD spokesperson Rommel Lopez said in a radio interview.

(The DSWD has distributed  P29.6 million worth of assistance with the help of local government units and some non-government organizations.)

According to Lopez, the regions most affected by the typhoon are Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Cordillera.

With new data coming in, Lopez said the number of houses that sustained damage grew exponentially to almost 12,000. Most of these reports came from Calabarzon, Cagayan, and Central Luzon, he said.

Lopez said DSWD personnel are having a hard time transporting relief to Polilo Island and General Nakar in Quezon.

“Ang atin pong concentration po 'yung medyo nahihirapan po talaga tayo, siyempre 'yung Polillo Island po, medyo nahihirapan pa rin po tayong mag-transport diyan,” he said.

(Our relief efforts are concentrated on places where we are having a hard time reaching like Polilo Island.)

“Bukod sa Polilo, 'yung area po ng General Nakar, nahihirapan pa rin tayo diyan pero nagagawan na naman po ng paraan,” he added.

(Aside from Polilo, we are also having a hard time reaching General Nakar but we are finding ways to reach them.)

Lopez said the DSWD is working with other government agencies like the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deliver relief goods to Karding victims.

As of Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 10 people were reported dead and eight were reported missing due to Karding.

A total of 157,023 people or 39,893 families were affected by Karding in 1,318 barangays in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and CAR.

Of the total affected population, 37,135 people or 8,825 families are staying inside 574 evacuation centers, while 15,759 individuals or 3,778 families are staying in other places. —KBK, GMA News