Over P6M worth of aid distributed to Mindanao quake victims –DSWD

More than P6 million worth of assistance to earthquake victims in Mindanao have been distributed, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Sunday.

Spokesperson Irene Dumlao told Super Radyo dzBB, "Ang DSWD ay nakapagbigayana ng more than  P6 million worth of assistance dito sa mga barangay ng  Davao del Sur at sa North Cotabato,” adding that the aid is continuously being augmented.

Dumlao noted that since October 16, when the series of big earthquakes in Cotabato started, the DSWD immediately sent assistance to the victims, which includes food packs and hygiene kits.

Likewise, the DSWD is coordinating with affected local government units to speed up the distribution process of the relief assistance.

“Nagbibigay din po tayo ng psycho-social intervention para makatulong sa mga biktima ng lindol na maka-cope sa trauma,” Dumlao added.

“Mayroon po tayong burial assistance para sa mga kababayan nating nawalan ng mahal sa buhay dahil sa kalamidad.”

Desperate residents of affected areas in Mindanao were seen flagging down passing vehicles on the highway, brandishing cardboard signs asking for help.

Residents near the Davao del Sur-Cotabato border had lined up along the national highway asking for water, food, and tarpaulin they could use as tents.

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake rocked parts of southern Philippines on October 31, following big ones occurring on October 29, and 16.

Two of the three big earthquakes that struck Mindanao last week have left at least 21 people dead, 432 injured, and two others missing, according National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) information as of Sunday morning. —Joviland Rita/LBG, GMA News