ILOILO City – More than 21,000 residents across Western Visayas have been affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) intensified by Tropical Storm Kiyapo.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) reported that 5,791 families or 21,407 persons from 84 barangays in Antique, Guimaras and Iloilo had been affected as of 8 p.m. on July 25. At least 304 persons from 96 families were staying in 11 evacuation centers, while 495 persons from 98 families were receiving assistance outside evacuation facilities.
According to RDRRMC-6 Situational Report No. 3, the affected barangays included 51 in Antique, 20 in Guimaras, and 13 in Iloilo.
Antique recorded the highest number of affected residents with 5,040 families or 18,558 persons, followed by Guimaras with 560 families or 2,118 persons, and Iloilo with 191 families or 731 persons.
The weather disturbance also damaged 63 houses, of which 16 were totally destroyed and 47 sustained partial damage.
Of the total damaged houses, 57 were in Antique (15 totally damaged and 42 partially damaged), five in Iloilo (one totally damaged and four partially damaged), and one partially damaged house in Guimaras.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has so far extended P547,479.78 in assistance to 4,940 affected families as of July 25.
Guimaras received P426,323.23 for 456 families, Antique received P101,675.05 for 4,470 families, while 14 families in Iloilo received P19,481.50 in aid.
DSWD Region 6 also reported that it has P155.59 million in available relief resources ready for augmentation to local government units still affected by the enhanced southwest monsoon. The available resources include P3 million in standby funds and P152.59 million worth of food and non-food items.
Meanwhile, Western Visayas remains under Blue Alert Status, with the RDRRM Operations Center continuing to monitor the possible effects of the enhanced monsoon.
Under the alert status, RDRRMC chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) regional director Raul Fernandez directs all vice chairpersons, member agencies, and local DRRM councils across the region to ensure the widest dissemination of early warning information to the public.
All partner agencies and local councils are also instructed to submit situational reports and updates on any monitored untoward incidents to the RDRRMOC for proper consolidation and response./PN
