At least P5.9 million amount of relief assistance was already released to families and individuals affected by Typhoon Quinta in Western Visayas. And there are still more to be distributed.

Of the amount, P5.5 was provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 through the provision of family packs and financial assistance of P10,000 to each of the casualties. 

The local government units of affected areas have also provided a total of P371,922-worth of assistance to the typhoon victims.

Judith Tanate, head of the Disaster Management/Crisis Intervention Unit of DSWD 6, said other LGUs are still to submit their reports on the assistance they provided for their constituents. 

Meanwhile, the Central Office of the DSWD also donated blankets, mats and bottled water for the typhoon-affected families.

As of 8 p.m. of January 2, records of the DSWD 6 showed that there are a total of 542 barangays affected by flash floods in the region due to Typhoon Quinta. The figure translates to 67,889 families or 329,244 individuals who lost their homes and livelihood. 

Tanate said 14,290 families or 73,399 individuals are still in evacuation centers that are located in Dumangas, Passi City and Zarraga in Iloilo and in Tapaz, Dumalag and Cuartero in Capiz. The rest of the 136 evacuation centers in the region were already closed when affected families went back to their homes after the floodwaters subsided.

The DSWD 6 records show 1,924 houses were damaged and 4,414 partially damaged in the entire Western Visayas due to Typhoon Quinta. The calamity left 17 persons dead, three injured and three missing.*DSWD6/Wenna Berondo