THE government is exhausting all means to properly rehabilitate the victims of flooding in Northern Mindanao, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“Government is doing everything to ensure that things go back to normal, especially now that the weather is improving and roads are again passable,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

The Cagayan de Oro City Government has declared a state of calamity after heavy rains triggered massive flooding on Monday evening.

The city’s disaster official said four were reported dead due to rising flood water at the height of heavy rains while over 5,000 individuals were reportedly moved to evacuation centers.

Abella said that according to the information relayed by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), response at the local government unit and agency level was manageable and did not require the NRRMC to step in.

The presidential spokesperson said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now providing assistance to families affected by flooding.

He added that the DSWD is ready to augment relief supplies as needed.

“The DSWD Field Office [in Northern Mindanao] has 3,200 bags of rice prepositioned in Misamis Occidental, Camiguin Islands, Iligan and Bukidnon. DSWD also has 9,000 family food packs, 2,000 dignity kits and a stand-by fund of P7 million. The dignity kits and family food packs will be sent today to affected families,” Abella said. (SunStar Philippines)