THE number of home-based internally displaced persons (IDPs) are rising as well as the number of IDPs seeking shelter in evacuation centers, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Tuesday.
In Balo-i town, Lanao del Norte for instance, the local government opened the barangay hall of Nangka village and Madrasah Sapacan to accommodate IDPs previously housed at Nangka Elementary School which is not available as an evacuation area because of the onset of classes on Monday, June 5.
In Pantar, IDPs decided to stay with relatives which prompted the closure of two evacuation centers there.
In three-days’ time, the home-based IDPs have increased from 11,469 families last Sunday, June 4, to 12,372 families Tuesday, June 6.
Overall, the status of IDPs rose to 13,832 families or 66,383 persons Tuesday, from 13,036 families or 63,000 persons over the weekend.
About 1,460 families or 6,867 individuals are staying in evacuation centers.
Iligan City currently houses a total of 789 families in its four evacuation centers, while Balo-i town has 431, Pantao Ragat with 115, and Pantar with 104.
In Cagayan de Oro, the validated home-based IDPs have spiked from 824 families over the weekend to 893 families Tuesday.
Nearly P12 million worth of assistance has been shelled out by the DSWD, where P2,453,404 went to non-food items while P9,608,301 were spent for family food packs.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWD) announced that home-based IDPs can avail of medical services for free from the city government of Cagayan de Oro.
CSWD chief Teddy Sabuga-a said 80 percent of the nearly 1,000 displaced families were given family access cards which serve as their key to benefit various interventions of the city government.
Sabuga-a said Mayor Oscar Moreno ordered the JR Borja General Hospital and the village health centers to accommodate IDPs who need medical attention.
"Ipakita lang nila ang family access cards kay free of charge pag moadto sila sa JR Borja General Hospital ug kung tambal pud sa mga health centers," Sabuga-a said.
The city health office was also instructed to prepare for a health clinic in villages should the need arises.
Sabuga-a explained that if one claims to be an IDP but has no access card, the city-run hospital or the village health center could entertain them after the documentation process.
The family access card is the CSWD's way to monitor the sustainability of the intervention and assistance already been extended to the IDPs.
The CSWD chief urged the evacuees who have not been yet profiled and documented to contact the CSWD hotline through 0917-597-9513.
The CSWD is also set to facilitate a separate stress debriefing sessions with the children and the parents in schools and in the village halls.
Sabuga-a said once the evacuee students are admitted to different schools in the city, the school administration will arrange a schedule for the psycho-social intervention.
"Ilahi nato ang mga bata sa eskwelahan busa nag-coordinate ta sa DepEd ug ang mga ginikanan sa barangay,"Sabuga-a said.
The CSWD tapped their Maranao interns, volunteers from Xavier University and other non-government groups who will administer the counselling and stress debriefing.
"Atong challenge is ang dialect and culture gap busa nag-training kita atong Sabado kay mga Maranao pud ang mag-conduct sa stress debriefing," Sabuga-a explained.
The CSWD chief urged the parents to allow their children to enroll in schools since this is part of the therapy and a way to recovery.
