By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and concerned local government units have so far provided P49.8-million worth of assistance to families affected by typhoon "Tisoy" (international name "Kammuri") last December 2.
Villagers look on from inside a damaged house in the aftermath of Typhoon Kammuri, in Legazpi city, Philippines, 03 December 2019. (EFE/EPA/ZALRIAN SAYAT / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) data on December 13 showed that, of the 470,991 families or 1,993,580 persons affected by the typhoon, 10,269 households or 45,889 individuals were still seeking temporary shelter in 139 evacuation centers.
This was down from the 18,826 households or 78,190 individuals who took temporary shelter in 294 evacuation centers in the DSWD data last December 10.
The number of typhoon victims who are staying with relatives or friends has also lessened to 2,034 families or 8,731 persons, from 2,107 families or 9,608 persons, previously.
Most of the affected families were from Central and Southern Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Caraga.
Meanwhile, DSWD has reported more damaged houses due to the massive destruction of Tisoy.
The number of damaged houses has reached 458,772, of which 61,237 were totally damaged and 397,535 partially damaged.
It is higher than the 368,676 houses (50,036 totally damaged and 318,640 partially damaged) in the December 10 data.