DAVAO CITY - A total of 6,495 families from eight barangays in the municipality of Santo Tomas in Davao del Norte were affected by flash-flood due to heavy rains Monday (Feb. 15).
Municipal Information Officer Mart Sambalud on Tuesday, Feb. 16 said the eight affected barangays include Barangay New Katipunan with 2,408 affected families, Barangay Kinamayan with 1,638 families, Barangay San Miguel with 1,131 families, Barangay San Jose with 352 families, Barangay Tibal-og with 565 families, Barangay Kimamon with 25 families, and Barangay Lunga-og with 95 families and Barangay Salvacion with 281 affected families.
Sambalud told The Manila Bulletin that 82 families or 410 to 492 individuals are still in the evacuation centers in Barangay New Katipunan covered court and in Barangay Kinamayan as of Tuesday morning.
He said 19 families are from Barangay New Katipunan, 35 families from Barangay Kinamayan, and 28 families from Barangay San Miguel. Sambalud added that a household has "five to six family members."
In a statement, Municipal Administrator Atty. Elisa Evangelista-Lapiña they have mobilized the disaster unit, and activated an inter-department coordinated effort to assist the families in Barangay New Katipunan whose houses were submerged in floodwater on Monday.
“To ensure the efficient and speedy delivery of aid to communities affected by the floodwater, we immediately mobilize the different offices to streamline the process of providing relief assistance and basic services to these flood-stricken barangays,” Lapiña added.
She said the municipal government's mobile kitchen has provided meals for the affected family. Lapiña added that the MHO’s Patient Transport Vehicles are on stand-by, while the Municipal Agriculturist's Office (MAGRO) will assess the damaged crops in the said area.
Mayor Ernesto Evangelista is in talks with MAGRO head Engr. Elmer Degorio to provide assistance to the farmers as crops were damaged.
Meanwhile, the City Government of Davao delivered a total of 6,055 food packs for the affected residents on Monday night.
The local government of Santo Tomas said on Tuesday, Feb. 16 that "a 10-wheeler wing van truck, a mini-elf, and a closed van delivery truck containing relief supplies arrived at the Municipal Covered Court around 10 p.m."