The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD-CAR) on Tuesday said the cost of immediate assistance extended to residents affected by Super Typhoon Uwan in the region has reached almost PHP19,525,353.

Data shows that as of Nov. 18, DSWD’s assistance that came in the form of family food packs, non-food items and immediate financial assistance reached PHP16 million.

Local government units, non-government organizations and other partners’ assistance amounted to PHP3.52 million.

Records show there are still 2,879 displaced families – 692 of them are staying in evacuation centers, while the rest are seeking temporary shelter with relatives and friends.

The DSWD chairs the response cluster of the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC).

“We continue to extend assistance and we will pursue extending the appropriate support until we have reached all those listed to have been affected by the super typhoon,” Maria Aplaten, regional director of the DSWD-CAR, said in an interview.

DSWD-CAR data showed that as of Nov. 14, there were 45,020 families or 154,166 individuals from 831 barangays in the region who were affected by the super typhoon.

“Everybody was profiled and we will be utilizing the help of the barangays in ensuring that additional assistance which are appropriate to the needs and situation of the families will still be provided even if they no longer stay in evacuation centers,” Aplaten said.

“If you see, we have more displaced families outside evacuation centers and this is a reflection of our culture where families would rather be with families helping each other than staying in evacuation centers. We assure them that we will extend assistance to them. We still have family food packs to distribute, financial assistance, psychosocial intervention and possible livelihood assistance,” she added.

Aplaten said the region still has 65,588 family food packs, 19,705 non-food items, and 2,910 ready-to-eat packs which are currently being distributed to replenish those already given during the typhoon.

“We continue to have requests for family food packs and other supplies, which are on their way, some being airlifted with the help of the Philippine Air Force,” she said. (PNA)