(Photo courtesy of PIA)
DAVAO CITY – The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) conducted a government service caravan in Barangay Leon Garcia Sr., Agdao, Davao City, to assist families displaced by a massive fire on October 15.
The initiative formed part of the observance of the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty (NWOEP) 2026, which carries the theme “United for Peace and Human Rights: Safe Homes for All.”
According to NAPC, approximately 1,000 families lost their homes in the fire, prompting the commission to replace its traditional wreath-laying ceremony with direct assistance to affected residents.
NAPC Undersecretary Mary Rose Villaflor said the annual commemoration usually takes place at a memorial stone near the barangay hall, honoring people who died because of hunger and poverty.
However, with the area currently serving as a temporary shelter for displaced families, the commission opted to hold a service caravan while offering flowers at the memorial.
Villaflor noted that the fire highlighted the vulnerability of communities living in densely populated areas, where houses are built close together.
She emphasized the importance of coordinated government assistance to address the immediate needs of affected residents.
Participating agencies included the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Social Security System (SSS).
The PSA assisted residents in obtaining replacement birth certificates and other civil registry documents destroyed in the fire, while the DOH provided medicines and health-related assistance.
Meanwhile, the SSS established a help desk to assist members with online services, salary loan inquiries, contact information updates, and applications for sickness, disability, maternity, and unemployment benefits.
SSS-Davao Branch Head Alnora Presbitero said unemployment benefits could be particularly helpful to residents who lost their jobs after business establishments were destroyed by the fire.
She added that the service desk also assists members who have limited access to the SSS online portal, allowing them to inquire about benefits and update their records directly.
The NAPC service caravan aimed to bring essential government services closer to displaced families while supporting their recovery from the disaster.
