DSWD gives ₱10,000 each to Davao City fire-hit families, promises more help

Families displaced by fires in two Davao City barangays started receiving ₱10,000 each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, according to SunStar. National officials who visited the payout said the cash was only a first step.

DSWD-Davao said the fire in Barangay Leon Garcia, Agdao, affected 1,074 families, or 2,507 persons. It destroyed 1,062 houses and partially damaged 12. A separate fire in Barangay Bucana affected 79 families, or 246 persons, destroying 38 houses and partially damaging nine. In all, 1,153 families will get aid under the agency's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (Aics) program.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos and Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Leo Magno attended the payout at Leon Garcia Sr. National High School. They also went to evacuation centers in Bucana, where they handed out cash and additional family food packs. Gatchalian said the President sent them to find out what else the government could do, and described the ₱10,000 as "only initial."

Gatchalian said the DSWD has coordinated with the housing department to help families rebuild. The agency will also offer its Sustainable Livelihood Program to residents who lost home-based livelihoods. He said food pack distribution will continue for as long as families need it and that warehouse stocks are sufficient. Each pack contains six kilos of rice, 10 canned goods, and sachets of coffee and cereal drink. The DSWD said it has so far provided ₱23.51 million in food, non-food items and cash to both barangays.

Abalos called it one of the biggest fires in Davao. He said the Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority could help with livelihood and skills training. Housing assistance will depend on the city government's plans. "Kaya it's a whole-of-government approach," he said.

As of Friday, 521 families, or 1,591 persons, were staying in five evacuation centers: four in Leon Garcia and one at the Kasilak Gym in Bucana. Leon Garcia Sr. National High School shelters 182 families. Its information board lists three toilets and three bathing areas, and names portable toilets as a need.

Marites, a 26-year-old mother of three, said five families share one classroom. She said some evacuees have coughs and colds and some children have had fevers. She added that the ₱10,000 will have to stretch, since residents were told their area cannot be touched yet. Officials have not said when residents may return.

Families with questions about eligibility may go to the grievance desk at the payout site or to the DSWD Field Office 11 Crisis Intervention Section.