(Photo courtesy of DSWD-CAR)
BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Cordillera Administrative Region has provided financial and psychosocial assistance to families and survivors of a road accident in Bontoc, Mountain Province that left six people dead, including a five-month-old baby.
DSWD-Mountain Province said it extended Php 30,000 in cash assistance to three bereaved families and Php 5,000 in food assistance to each of 14 victims who remain hospitalized.
The agency is also providing psychological first aid to the victims and their families, while assessing what other forms of assistance may be needed.
The accident occurred Tuesday afternoon in Sitio Jacap, Barangay Talubin, Bontoc, when an Elf truck carrying 22 passengers and a driver from Isabela to Bakun, Benguet plunged into a ravine about 100 meters deep.
Six people died, while the other occupants, including the driver, were injured and taken to hospitals. Of the 23 people aboard the vehicle, 13 were minors.
One injured passenger was transferred from Bontoc General Hospital to Luis Hora Memorial Hospital in Bauko for specialized medical care.
The Bakun Public Information Office said the remains of those who died had been brought home for wakes and traditional rituals. The Benguet provincial government also sent an ambulance to help transport hospitalized victims back to Bakun once they are cleared to travel.
Meanwhile, the Bontoc Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council conducted a traditional cleansing ritual Wednesday for emergency responders who joined the rescue and retrieval operations.
The ritual was intended to help responders cope with the emotional stress of the tragedy. A Catholic priest also held a blessing at the accident site and offered prayers for the responders and those who died.
