The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development has released more than P94,000 worth of assistance to the families who were affected by a fire that hit Sitio Sinikway, Barangay Tabucan, Mandurriao, Iloilo City last Saturday.

The DSWD-6 provided augmentation support such as plastic mats, blankets, used clothing, bottled water and family food packs amounting to P94, 350.000.

Records of the Disaster Management/Crisis Intervention Unit show that as of 8:00 a.m. Sunday, there are 107 families affected or 565 individuals. There were 102 houses totally damaged while three were partially burned.

Out of the affected families, 21 are Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries. DSWD-6 Assistant Regional Director Joel P. Galicia assured them, however, that can request for new identification cards (IDs), especially that now is the time of releasing of their grants.

As of writing, 56 families or 280 persons are still at Tabucan Elementary School, which was identified as the evacuation center, while 51 families or 285 individuals are staying with their relatives and neighbors.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) of Iloilo City, through the City Social Welfare and Development Office provided immediate relief assistance to the affected families in the form of family food packs (rice, noodles, beef loaf, pork and beans and sardines), bottled water and used clothing amounting to P99,800.00./DSWD6/Wenna A. Berondo