CEBU CITY, Nov. 20 (PNA) — A total of 7,279 evacuees from the super typhoon Yolanda-devastated areas in Tacloban and other parts of Eastern Samar have arrived in Cebu aboard naval boats and military transport planes, social welfare officials said.
Shalaine Marie Lucero, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 protective services unit chief, said most of the evacuees are now living with their relatives in Cebu.
Those who have no relatives in Cebu stayed in evacuation centers in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu.
The six evacuation centers in Cebu City are in the Tinago gym, the Guadalupe gym, the Capitol Parish Sports Complex, the Ramos gym, the San Roque gym and the San Nicolas gym.
Lucero said the evacuation center in the Gun-ob gym in Lapu-Lapu City was ordered closed and the evacuees were transferred to the Babag gym after classes resumed.
Aside from the Babag gym, the Looc gym and the Suba Basbas gym were also being used for the evacuees.
Lucero said they need more evacuation sites to house more evacuees expected.
The Cebu City Government, with the help of the Philippine Red Cross, is establishing a tent city at the South Road Properties that can accommodate at least 500 evacuees.
Lucero said social workers were assigned to ascertain the needs and document the evacuees in the different evacuation centers.
Evacuees were asked to fill up Disaster Family Assistance Access Card form.
Those whose houses were damaged by the typhoon will receive P5,000 as emergency shelter assistance while those who totally lost their homes will get P70,000.
A total of 161 patients from Region 8 were taken to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.
Of that number, 123 were admitted, 35 have already been discharged and three died.
The DSWD said they can provide food assistance to the victims of the super typhoon up to 31 days.
They have six packing centers in Cebu that have repacked 331,798 food packs and distributed 237,094 of them, mostly in Tacloban City. (PNA)