With bad weather from the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Henry  prevailing in Eastern Visayas, particularly over Biliran province,  the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)  received a report from  Almeria town Mayor Dominador Agahan that 126 families from Sitio Basud evacuated to three evacuation centers in the area.

The number is different from media reports that some 400 families have evacuated.

Mayor Agahan further informed DSWD that of the 126 families, 117 have returned home and only nine continue to stay at the evacuation center as their houses were eroded due to floods.  The local government unit (LGU) of Almeria will attend to their housing needs.

The LGU  has provided ‘pabaon’ packs composed of canned goods, rice, and noodles to those who already returned home. The remaining families at the evacuation center are being provided with hot meals and other appropriate services by the  LGU.

Mayor Agahan stressed that the evacuation was pre-emptive to ensure the safety of the families. He related that he went around the town to encourage families to evacuate in safer grounds.

“We had no casualty so far because of the pre-emptive evacuation that we conducted,” Mayor Agahan said.

‘Glenda’ evacuees returning home

Meanwhile,  disaster operations in Typhoon Glenda-affected areas continue, but DSWD reported that only 224 evacuation centers have remained open, as of 4 a.m. today,  with 181 located in Southern Luzon which was hardest-hit.

Most of the evacuees who remain at the evacuation centers are those whose houses were totally damaged.

DSWD said that evacuees have started returning home after their towns have been declared safe by authorities.

To date,  68,343 houses were reported to be totally damaged while 291,060 were partially destroyed.

DSWD has provided the affected LGUs some 41,642 food packs, 18,725 pieces of other food items, and 6,345 non-food items such as mattresses, blankets, and tarpaulins, among others.

Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Teams continue to coordinate with the affected LGUs on the extent of damage and for the provision of other appropriate services for the victims. ###