The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Calabarzon—covering the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon—provided psychosocial services and financial aid to families and individuals whose lives were ruined by severe tropical storm ‘Kristine.’
The DSWD field office in Calabarzon recorded 24 casualties and 23 missing during the height of the fatal storm. “We are aware of the mental stress caused by the onslaught of ‘Kristine,’ especially to families and individuals who lost their loved ones,” said regional director Barry Chua.
“Our social workers are ready to provide them with counseling and psychosocial sessions to help them cope with their traumatic experiences. We also condole with the families and offer our prayers to them,” Chua added.
In Talisay, Batangas state social workers provided grief counseling to the families of seven individuals who perished. The field office also extended P200,000 in financial assistance.
The DSWD field office in Bicol likewise expressed its condolences to the families of four landslide victims in Caramoan, Catanduanes.
The agency through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program reached out to the grieving families on Oct. 25 and provided 10,000 financial support as well as psychosocial services to help them cope during this difficult time.
The DSWD said it remains committed to providing social welfare support, among other kinds of government assistance for those affected by the calamity.
Based on its latest situation report through its Disaster Response Operations Management, Information and Communication (DROMIC), the DSWD said there are 1,556,271 families or 6,081,689 individuals affected by ‘Kristine’ in 9,360 barangays nationwide.
