CITY Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) Officer-in-Charge Julie P. Dayaday said their office highly appreciated the barangays that were able to pro-actively establish community cooking, without depending on their office, in the light of the evacuation due to the flooding and landslide incidents last week.
“We appreciate barangays with emergency responses in place because we in the city government, because of the wide coverage, we cannot cover all,” Dayaday said in an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio.
She said that the city government has three mobile kitchens only and cannot cover all areas at once to provide hot meals to the victims.
Dadayaday encouraged barangays to replicate what other areas have done.
“We encourage our barangays to put in place their emergency response because they are the ones in the area. Gladly there are barangays that we have extended less response to, we just sent them food for community cooking, they already have their kitchen team, so they did the cooking. The affected residents were able to eat on time, whereas if they have waited for the mobile kitchen, [they may have to wait longer or will not be catered to] it will be hard to deploy [the kitchen] in all affected areas),” Dayaday said.
Dayaday said that the flooding and landslide incidents on January 18 until January 19 have affected 2,397 families with 8,555 individuals. For mass wasting 59 families were affected with 206 individuals. These data were gathered through masterlisting done in evacuation sites.
She revealed that barangays in Talomo, Buhangin, Paquibato, Toril, Bunawan, and Tugbok districts were affected by flooding while areas in Marilog and Buhangin District were affected by landslides or mass wasting.
For flooding, Purok 1, 2, and 3 Gravahan-Matina Crossing, Barangay Ma-a, Purok 27 Camansi- Barangay Maa, Monte Maria 2 in Catalunan Grade, and Golden Valley at the Lower Center of Arroyo were the affected areas in Talomo A, while Bago Aplaya, Bago Gallera, and Talomo Proper were the ones affected in Talomo B.
Also for flooding, Tigatto in Buhangin District was identified as an affected area with flood waters not subsiding until Sunday, January 21, 2023. Barangay Waan and Mandug under the same district were also affected by flooding.
Barangay Lasang was also affected by flooding in Paquibato District; Barangay 5-A, 8A, 9A, and Barangay 19-B were affected in Poblacion District; Barangay Lizada and Purok 2, 3, 8 in Barangay Marapangi were the affected areas in Toril District; Purok 2-A, Purok 2-C, and Purok 10 were the affected areas in Bunawan District; and Barangay New Carmen were the affected areas of Tugbok District.
For landslide, Sitio Masawang and Sitio Calachuchi in Barangay Salaysay, Barangay Dalag in Marilog District, and Sitio Apiki in Barangay Tigatto were affected.
Dayaday said that in the course of the evacuation, their office – together with various agencies – extended assistance. The CSWDO district offices facilitated the evacuation center. The City Mayor’s Office provided basic needs and food for personnel. The Barangay and Cultural Communities Affairs Division (BCCAD) provided “lugaw”.
“Hygiene kits and non-food items were also provided by the city government and hot meals were provided through our mobile kitchen. We also have partners from outside [city government] who supported us,” Dayaday said.
Dayaday they also sent rice and canned goods for community cooking in the barangays.
As ways forward the CSWDO is eyeing to sit down with response agencies or offices to be able to harmonize responses and ensure that there are no duplicity in responses.
Dayaday said that as for possible financial assistance, structural damages of houses affected by the flooding and landslide incidents in the past week are being assessed. Only those with partially and totally damaged structures or houses are eligible for financial assistance. Damaged appliances or furniture are not included in the eligibility requirement.
As for the two deaths related to the landslide incidents in Sitio Masawang in Marilog District and Barangay Tigatto, the CSWDO is now processing burial assistance.
“As of now, all the evacuees have gone home, except those in Sitio Apiki in Tigatto who were affected by the mass wasting, they are the only ones who did not leave the evacuation site yet, we have already provided them goods for community cooking,” Dayaday said. CIO
