In a significant relief effort, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 2 (DSWD-2) has provided over PHP90.88 million in humanitarian aid to residents of Cagayan Valley impacted by a series of recent typhoons. The aid distribution, announced on November 19, 2024, targets the 195,260 families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Nika, Typhoon Ofel, and Super Typhoon Pepito across 1,433 villages in the region’s five provinces: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and Nueva Vizcaya.
Currently, 5,615 families, totaling 18,638 individuals, remain housed in evacuation centers, while 11,382 families, or 42,468 people, have found temporary shelter with relatives or friends. DSWD-2 has reported that as of 10 a.m., they have PHP84.29 million in food and non-food relief items and PHP3 million in standby funds ready for distribution.
To date, the regional office has successfully distributed 143,551 family food packs valued at PHP87.82 million and 1,141 non-food packs worth PHP2.87 million. Additionally, 2,111 pieces of bottled water, amounting to PHP138,957, have been provided to the victims.
The DSWD-2 continues to work closely with local governments to ensure that all affected individuals receive prompt assistance. The recent typhoons have also caused significant structural damage, with 554 houses completely destroyed and 8,872 partially damaged.