MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it will provide burial assistance to the families of those who died in the landslide in Natonin, Mountain Province, last October 30.

The landslide, which buried a building of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was triggered by heavy rain from Typhoon Rosita (Yutu).

In a statement on Sunday, November 4, Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista said social workers from the DSWD’s Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) office conducted interviews with survivors and victims’ families. This was done to assess their needs.

Bautista said the DSWD will also provide P5,000 in financial aid, aside from helping with funeral expenses.

So far, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council puts the number of confirmed deaths at 11.

But based on local reports, at least 12 bodies have been recovered from the buried DPWH building alone, as of Friday, November 2. Some 20 others remain unaccounted for.

Aside from this, the DSWD also said it continues to monitor the situation inside evacuation centers.

About 135 families or 466 individuals remain inside 15 evacuation sites in Cagayan Valley, Eastern Visayas, and CAR.

The DSWD said 9 out of 15 evacuation centers are in CAR alone, where some 111 families or 370 persons are still being serviced. 

In addition to this, DSWD CAR has distributed thousands of family food packs to the following areas badly hit by the typhoon:

• Ifugao – 5,850
• Abra – 5,000
• Kalinga – 5,000
• Benguet – 4,170
• Mountain Province – 1,970

About P5,693,964.25 in aid has also been provided to affected families as of Sunday. – Rappler.com