The Department of Social Welfare and Development, through its Field Office in the CALABARZON Region, had provided a total of Php2,725,432.00 worth of relief goods to 20,775 families affected by Tropical Storm Mario in the Region.

The said assistance were provided during the 3-day disaster response and monitoring conducted by the Field Office to the affected families in the Provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite and Batangas.  The said assistance includes 5,740 food packs, 400 boxes of mineral water, 2,000 packs of used clothing and 4,850 packs of ready to eat food.

As of 6 PM of September 21,2014, there only 43 evacuation centers still operating out of the total 201 centers opened in the said provinces during the height of Typhoon Mario.  The said still open centers are currently serving 5,301 families in the provinces of Rizal and Laguna.  The evacuation centers in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite are already closed as the families staying in the centers had already returned home.

According to Joshua Saluria, head of the quick response team of the Field Office, the number of evacuation centers operating is expected to reduce further as evacuees are already returning  to their respective homes due to the improved weather condition.  The Department will however continue to monitor effects of Typhoon Mario, particularly the affected families still staying in evacuation centers.***