(CNN Philippines, June 15) — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is considering setting up “tent cities” for people displaced by the ongoing firefight in Marawi.
NDRRMC Executive Director Ricardo Jalad confirms the number of internally displaced people or IDPs continues to increase.
Latest data from the NDRRMC show 66,738 families have so far been displaced because of the Marawi conflict.
Of this number, Jalad says only five percent are staying in the 79 evacuation centers set up in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sir and Cagayan de Oro.
Ninety-five percent of people who fled the conflict areas, now staying with friends and relatives are called “home-based” IDPs.
He said, “If the number of IDPs will really swell (we will look) at setting up tent cities. So the National Incident Management team deployed in the area is now looking at that possibility.”
Jalad says ₱84 million worth of assistance for IDPs has been released by different government agencies.
Jalad says 15 IDPs are confined in hospitals for illnesses like diarrhea.
He said, “The DOH has also activated its surveillance system to monitor the occurrence of epidemic, so far there’s none.”
Jalad, who is also administrator of the Office of Civil Defense, says disaster management officials are currently focused on responding to the needs of IDPs.
He says damage and needs assessment teams will be deployed to Marawi once the city is cleared of terrorists.
“After the assessment will be the crafting of the rehabilitation and recovery plan. The assessment will be done in about two weeks,” he said.
The proposed “Tindig Marawi” bill filed in Congress sets a ₱10 billion allocation for Marawi’s rehabilitation.
Jalad says this amount which was “an approximation given by the President,” may still change depending on the results of their needs assessment.
