The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported Tuesday that P6,662,741 worth of assistance has so far been given to Super Typhoon Rolly victims in different regions.
DSWD’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center said the total assistance came from the agency, non-government organizations, and local government units.
The report said residents from Bicol Region, Calabarzon, National Capital Region, Mimaropa, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Cordillera Administrative Region were provided with assistance.
In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Tuesday, Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua said that the provincial government already gave away most of its relief goods for its COVID-19 response.
“Kakaunti lang ang preposition namin ng relief goods dahil po naubos na namin sa COVID-19 preparation at pagbibigay doon sa mga locally stranded individuals,” Cua said.
“Kaya kailangan namin ng tulong ng national agency,” he added.
Cua added that around 65% of houses made of light materials were damaged due to the super typhoon, while 20% of houses made of strong materials were also damaged.
“Kaya grabe po ang problema natin sa mga nasirang bahay dito sa Catanduanes,” he said.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday Rolly has “completely isolated” Catanduanes.
DSWD extends P6.6M worth of help to Rolly victims
He said the province now depends on airlifted assistance and could only be contacted using satellite phones provided by the Office of Civil Defense.
Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara said on Tuesday Rolly has also left around 6,000 people homeless.
“There are about maybe 6,000 homeless because their houses were totally damaged along the coastline, along riverbanks,” Bichara said in an interview on ANC.
DSWD said Sunday that the government has a total of P884 million worth of standby funds and stockpiles to help families affected by Rolly.
Of this amount, P263 million are standby funds which have already been frontloaded to their field offices, DSWD Undersecretary Felicisimo Budiongan said.
The remaining P579 million worth of stockpiles, which includes P115 million worth of family food packs and P180 million worth of other food items, were also pre-positioned at their field offices.
Budiongan said DSWD also has P279 million worth of non-food items, such as tents, laminated sacks, hygiene kits, sleeping kits and kitchen kits.