The Bacolod City government, through the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) and Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed aid on Monday, Jan. 26, to families displaced by fires that hit three barangays.
Acting on Mayor Greg Gasataya’s directive, immediate aid was extended to affected households from Barangay Singcang-Airport and Barangays 10 and 26, who are currently sheltered in evacuation centers, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said. .
Each family received food packs containing eight kilos of rice, canned goods (corned beef and sardines), snacks, and coffee.
Additional assistance included family kits with basic kitchenware, clothing, sleeping and hygiene essentials, along with other supplies to support their temporary displacement.
Gasataya also instructed the DSSD to facilitate financial assistance for the fire-affected families.
The DSSD is leading the camp management and coordination efforts and has begun validating claims for financial support for totally and partially affected households. Officials of the affected barangays are playing a major role in providing resources for their constituents, the press release said.
“We remain committed to standing with our affected families during this difficult time. Beyond relief assistance, our priority is to help them recover with dignity, hope, and the assurance that the city government is with them,” DSSD-Bacolod head Richelle Verdeprado-Mangga said.
Fires broke out on three consecutive days: 34 families were displaced in Purok Tambi Palad, Barangay 10, on January 24; 12 families lost homes in Purok Batad, Barangay Singcang-Airport, on January 25; and 19 families were displaced in Purok Masanag, Barangay 26, on January 26.*