The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) today said that as of 6 am,  21 more evacuation centers have been opened in addition to last night’s report of 13, bringing in the current number of operational evacuation centers to 34 serving 5,620 families with 28,100 persons.

All 34 evacuation centers are in Bohol and are located in the following areas:  one in Tagbilaran City serving 600 families; two in Alicia providing temporary shelter to 150 families; six in Calape with 1,150 families; seven in Bilar with 765; two in Buenavista with 900, two in Correla with 400;  four in Loboc with 405, one in Sierra Bullones with 50 families;  four in Tubigon with 600 families,; and five in Ubay with 600 families.

Initial accounting of damaged houses indicated nine totally and 284 partially destroyed houses. The DSWD-FO VII is closely coordinating with affected LGUs to determine the exact number of damaged houses.

An initial P898,800.00 worth of food and non-food items support was provided by the Rotary Club of Cebu City,  the local government units of Cebu City and Mandaue City. Most of the concerned LGUs could still address the relief requirement of its affected constituents using its local calamity fund.

According to DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman, DSWD-FO VII shall be mobilizing its resources today in areas beyond the capacity of the LGUs to respond, specifically in the hardest hit cities and towns in the province of Bohol.

DSWD has also prepositioned P2,943,368.00 emergency relief resources at the Villamor Air Base and Manila port for transport at the the soonest possible time to Cebu City and/or Tagbilaran City.

Meanwhile, the DSWD-Field Office-7 is now accepting in-kind and cash donations for the earthquake victims.

Private citizens and non-government organizations (NGOs) can donate goods such as rice, canned goods, noodles, biscuits, coffee, sugar, bottled water, clothes, blankets, mats, toiletries, and medicines, among others.

Donations can be brought to the DSWD-7 Regional Office located at corner M.J Cuenco and General Maxilom Avenues, Cebu City or the DSWD Social Welfare and Development Team Office (SWAD) in Bohol located at the Circumferential Road, Dampas District, Tagbilaran City.

Donations can also be brought to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City and in all DSWD regional offices outside the National Capital Region. ###