Shelter aid rushed to ‘Crising’ victims

Shelter assistance is now rolling out for families whose homes were damaged by tropical storm "Crising," with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) leading the response.

As of Saturday noon, DHSUD regional offices reported 356 damaged homes — 307 partially and 49 totally destroyed. Region VI was hardest hit with 183 damaged structures, followed by Region IX (87) and Negros Island Region (65).

To provide immediate relief, DHSUD has requested 5,000 shelter-grade tarpaulins from the International Organization for Migration, prioritizing Region VI and NIR.

“We are coordinating closely with LGUs to ensure timely support through our Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP),” said DHSUD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Henry Yap. “As directed by President Marcos Jr., we must be proactive in post-disaster recovery.”

Through IDSAP, families with totally damaged homes get P30,000, while those with partial damage receive P10,000 in unconditional cash aid. DHSUD also previously distributed essential home materials to typhoon-hit communities.

DHSUD leads the national shelter cluster under the NDRRMC mandate, tasked with providing post-disaster housing support across the country.

Habagat to persist

Despite tropical storm "Crising" being outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), the Southwest Monsoon, also known as habagat, will continue to affect the country, bringing occasional rains to the western sections of Luzon and the Visayas starting Sunday.

According to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s weekly weather outlook, the rest of Luzon and the Visayas can expect cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms until Thursday.

Meanwhile, Mindanao is expected to experience generally fair weather, with chances of isolated rain showers.

By Sunday morning, three dams in Luzon had begun releasing excess water due to the heavy rains. Ipo Dam in Bulacan opened one gate at 8 a.m. after its reservoir water level reached 100.50 meters, just below the 101.10-meter spilling level.

Ambuklao Dam in Benguet also opened one gate, releasing 78.74 cubic meters per second as its RWL rose to 751.78 meters, nearing its 752-meter spill level. Binga Dam had two gates open to ease pressure from rising water levels.

Five national roads in the Cordillera Administrative Region remain impassable, including the Kennon Road, according to Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

“More or less, from July 17 until yesterday, the report to us is that 13 national roads were rendered unpassable, eight were already cleared as of yesterday,” Bonoan said in a televised interview.

The National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported three fatalities due to the tropical storm’s effects. Of the three, two were from Northern Mindanao, while the other was from the Davao region.

NDRRMC also recorded three injured in SOCCKSARGEN and three individuals missing in Western Visayas.