The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 1 immediately coordinated with the Batac City Government following the fire that razed portions of the Batac City Public Market on the night of July 5, ensuring the prompt delivery of emergency assistance to affected families and individuals.

Initial assessments identified about 282 affected families, including stall owners and workers who rely on the public market as their primary source of livelihood. DSWD Region 1 and the city government are continuing validation efforts to determine the final number of affected individuals and ensure the accurate distribution of assistance.

On Monday, affected families began receiving relief assistance from DSWD Region 1. Each family received one Family Food Pack (FFP) and six liters of bottled water to address their immediate food and drinking water needs.

The agency also distributed 10 laminated sacks to vendors for use as temporary shelter materials or for protecting and storing salvaged goods during recovery operations.

The immediate release of relief supplies was facilitated through the Relief Prepositioning Agreement (RPA) between DSWD Region 1 and the Batac City Government, which allows food and non-food items to be strategically prepositioned for rapid deployment during disasters and emergencies.

Authorities said coordination between DSWD Region 1 and the local government remains ongoing as they continue to assess the extent of the damage and determine additional assistance needed by affected families and vendors.