Families affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island have received a total of PHP26.02 million in various assistance from the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Based on the DSWD report as of 6 a.m. on Thursday, financial aid totaling PHP15.98 million and 8,032 family food packs worth PHP4.741 million were given to 1,598 beneficiaries.

Non-food items amounting to PHP5.301 million, including 1,516 sleeping kits, 1,424 hygiene kits, 372 family kits, 86 kitchen kits and 10 modular tents were also distributed.

Mayor Rhummyla Nicor-Mangilimutan of La Castellana, the worst-hit local government unit (LGU) in Negros Occidental, earlier thanked the national government for assisting her affected constituents, saying they feel they are “not alone in this battle”.

On June 15, a total of 1,386 families in the locality received cash assistance of PHP10,000 each under the DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.

As of Thursday afternoon, hundreds of displaced individuals are still staying in four evacuation centers in La Castellana, including those in St. Vincent National High School Inc., Don Felix Robles Elementary School, La Castellana Elementary School, and Municipal Evacuation Center.

Aside from La Castellana, the other localities in Negros Occidental that were affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on June 3 are the cities of Bago and La Carlota and the municipalities of Moises Padilla and Pontevedra, the DSWD-Western Visayas report said.

It said some 9,046 families or 27,596 persons from 18 villages in the five LGUs have been affected.

“Ongoing assessment and validation are being conducted,” the report added.(PNA)