CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Almost 30,000 families or 96,000 individuals from 120 towns and cities in the Calabarzon region were evacuated due to super typhoon ‘’Uwan.’’
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council conducted preemptive evacuation in areas at high risk for flooding, landslides, and storm surges to ensure the safety of residents.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau said there are 3,260 flood-prone barangays in 141 towns and cities in the region.
Bianca Pabas, a geologist from DENR-MGB, said 1,008 barangays are in 40 towns and cities in Quezon, 852 barangays in 34 towns and cities in Batangas, 706 barangays in 23 towns in Cavite, 506 barangays in Laguna, and 188 barangays in 14 towns in Rizal.
Rapid damage assessment
The RDRRMC is conducting a Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) on Monday in the aftermath of Uwan in Calabarzon.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Calabarzon and RDRRMC chairman Carlos Eduardo Alvarez III said the RDANA team will determine the extent of damage and identify the immediate humanitarian needs of affected population for effective response and recovery operations.
DSWD aid
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Calabarzon has extended aid to families and individuals affected by Uwan in the region.
The agency is closely coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to support preparedness efforts and ensure the welfare of evacuees currently staying in evacuation centers.
More than 150 evacuation centers are currently providing temporary shelter to over 4,000 affected families in Calabarzon.
The DSWD has P118.92 million in prepositioned relief goods stored in 95 warehouses across the region, ready for immediate deployment when needed.