FAMILIES displaced by fires in two Davao City barangays began receiving ₱10,000 each in financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, as national officials visited evacuation centers and promised that help would not stop there.
According to DSWD in Davao Region (DSWD-Davao), the fire in Barangay Leon Garcia, Agdao, affected 1,074 families or 2,507 persons, destroying 1,062 houses and partially damaging 12 others.
A separate fire in Barangay Bucana affected 79 families or 246 persons, destroying 38 houses and partially damaging nine. A total of 1,153 families from the two barangays will receive aid under the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (Aics) program.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos, and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Magno visited the payout at Leon Garcia Sr. National High School, joined by Barangay Captain Lita Impis.
“Pinapunta ho kami ng ating pangulo dito para personal nating alamin kung ano pa ang puwede nating itulong (The President sent us here to personally find out what else we can do to help),” Gatchalian said.
“Hindi ho tayo titigil hanggang sa makabangon kayo muli (We will not stop until you rise again),” he added.
The officials also visited evacuation centers in Bucana, where they distributed financial assistance and additional family food packs, DSWD Field Office 11 said in a Facebook post.
Housing, livelihood
Gatchalian said the DSWD has coordinated with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to help affected families rebuild.
“Nakipag-ugnayan na kami kay Secretary Aliling ng Department of Housing kasi siyempre importante makapagsimula sila ulit ng kanilang mga tahanan (We have coordinated with Secretary Aliling of the Department of Housing because, of course, it is important for them to rebuild their homes),” he said.
“Ito ang financial assistance na ibibigay natin, kumbaga pauna lamang (The financial assistance we are giving is, so to speak, only initial),” he added, saying the long-term goal is to return families to their communities.
He said the DSWD will also offer its Sustainable Livelihood Program, particularly to residents who lost home-based livelihoods.
Gatchalian said the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has worked with the DSWD “from day one.”
Not one-time
Gatchalian said the distribution of food packs will continue, as he has instructed DSWD Field Office 11 to keep providing them for as long as families need them. He said the agency has enough stocks in its warehouses.
Each family food pack contains six kilos of rice, 10 canned goods, and sachets of coffee and cereal drink.
He said the DSWD released the ₱10,000 first because families have urgent needs, and the agency will discuss with barangay officials what further assistance it can provide.
“Kasi alam natin may mga urgent silang mga kailangan bilhin, kailangang paggastusan, kaya unahin na natin ‘yung 10,000 (Because we know they have urgent things they need to buy and pay for, so we are giving the 10,000 first),” Gatchalian said.
He said ground personnel have been working on the site and will stay until families recover, even after he and other officials return to Manila.
“Hindi sila titigil sa site hanggang sa masigurado natin na naka-recover ‘yung mga fire victims natin (They will not leave the site until we make sure our fire victims have recovered),” he said.
The DSWD said it has provided ₱23.51 million in food, non-food items, and cash assistance to both barangays.
‘Whole-of-government’
Abalos, who called the incident one of the biggest fires in Davao, said the President sent them to make sure aid reaches affected families on time.
He said food and clothing are the priority, but families also need help to recover.
“Pero kung ikaw nasunugan, ano iisipin mo? Paano ka babangon? (But if your house burned down, what would you think? How will you rise again)?” Abalos said.
He said other agencies may also help, including the Department of Trade and Industry for livelihood and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for skills training, while housing assistance will depend on the city government’s plans.
“Kaya it’s a whole-of-government approach (That’s why it’s a whole-of-government approach),” he said.
Abalos said the most important thing is to assure families, many of whom are still in shock, that the government is there for them.
“Okay, huwag kang mag-alala, andito ang gobyerno para tulungan ka (Okay, don’t worry, the government is here to help you),” he said.
Evacuation centers
As of Friday, 521 families or 1,591 persons were staying in five evacuation centers, four in Barangay Leon Garcia and one at the Kasilak Gym in Bucana, the DSWD said.
At Leon Garcia Sr. National High School, which shelters 182 families or 509 persons, the evacuation center’s information board lists three toilets and three bathing areas, and lists portable toilets as a need.
‘Igo-igoon’
For Marites, 26, a mother of three who gave only her first name, the ₱10,000 will have to stretch.
“Saktohon na lang, igo-igoon (We will just make it fit, make it enough),” she said.
Recalling the day of the fire incident, she said they could only save their children’s clothes. “Giuna ra namo among mga sanina sa mga bata. The rest, wala na (We saved our children’s clothes first. The rest, nothing was left).”
Marites said five families share one classroom at the evacuation center. Some evacuees have coughs and colds, and some children have had fevers.
She said her family is unsure how the money fits into their recovery, saying it may only be financial help for now, as they were told their area cannot be touched yet.
“Wala pud mi kabalo unsay pamaagi anang kwarta nga gihatag sa amo, kay pinansyal lang sa siguro na, kay ang istorya dili pa man gud pahilabtan didto sa among area (We also don’t know how the money given to us will work, because it is probably just financial help for now, as we were told our area cannot be touched yet),” she said.
Officials have not yet said when residents may return to their area.
Families concerned about their eligibility may go to the grievance desk at the payout site or to the DSWD Field Office 11’s Crisis Intervention Section. GRS