The government has provided more than P728.7 million worth of humanitarian assistance to families affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao earlier this month, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said.
Based on the latest government monitoring data, at least 391,580 families, or more than 1.65 million individuals, from 648 barangays in four Mindanao regions have been affected by the earthquake.
The affected areas include Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
On Saturday, the DSWD Field Office in Soccsksargen, in coordination with the Philippine Air Force and the Office of Civil Defense, airlifted an additional 1,700 family food packs for distribution to affected communities.
Of the total, 1,000 food packs were sent to Glan in Sarangani, while 700 were allocated for T’boli in South Cotabato.
Data from the DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring, Information, and Communication Division as of June 28 showed that 23,367 families, or 89,902 individuals, remained displaced.
This includes 6,345 families, or 26,071 persons, staying in 76 evacuation centers, while 17,022 families, or 63,831 individuals, are temporarily staying with relatives or friends.
The DSWD also reported that 92,699 houses were damaged by the earthquake.
Despite the continuing relief operations, the agency said it still has more than P5.59 billion in standby resources ready for deployment.
This includes P1.22 billion in available funds and P4.37 billion worth of family food packs and non-food relief items that may be tapped and distributed as needed.