DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 17 June 2026) – Damaged roads and infrastructure are hampering efforts to reach residents of at least three isolated barangays in Jose Abad Santos town in Davao Occidental who were affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake on June 8, according to an official from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) XI. 

Speaking at the weekly Habi at Kape at the Abreeza Ayala Mall here on Wednesday, DSWD XI Assistant Regional Director Merlinda Paragamac said blocked roads, inaccessible areas, and post-disaster challenges continue to delay relief. 

Paragamac did not identify the said barangays during the press conference. 

However, the agency’s official Facebook Page identified the isolated barangays of Molmol, Quiapo, and San Isidro as the beneficiaries of deliveries by Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks from the Philippine Air Force.

The sorties carried family food packs, bottled water, and other items, the Facebook Post said last June 11. 

Paragamac told MindaNews that the agency in normal situations could send much needed aid within a three-day window. But road damage and other factors affect delivery, she said. 

In some cases, the roads and bridges are fine, but the trucks that carry the assistance could not pass through. 

“There is no shortage, we are just finding it difficult to transport the assistance,” Pagaramac said. 

While military helicopters could easily access some areas in JAS, these can only carry up to 250 packs per flight. “Kung may kasamang tao yan [staff or crew], mababawasan pa yan,” she said. 

“One of the biggest challenges of DSWD is transportation. Even though we have sufficient supplies of food and non-food items, transportation is a bit difficult,” she said.

There are boats that can carry around 3,000 packs per trip, but these can only reach Malita town, at least 100 kilometers away from Davao Occidental. 

The DSWD maintains a wing van that can transport the goods easily for such trips, carrying around 5,000 packs, but the roads prove to be a challenge. 

Dump trucks, meanwhile, can carry around 2,000 packs per trip.

The DSWD has monitored at least 11 dead, 16 missing and 78 injured in the region, as of June 16. 

Ten of the fatalities, 47 of those injured, and all the 16 missing individuals were from Davao Occidental. One died in Davao del Sur, while 18 were injured. 

Davao Oriental and Davao del Norte recorded seven and six injured, respectively.

Paragamac said the agency has provided burial cash assistance for all of the 11 recorded dead. 

She, however, said that this data still has to be consolidated with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), which collects all information. 

As of Wednesday, no agency, including the Department of Health (DOH), has revealed the names of the deceased.

DOH sources said they rely on the Department of Interior and Local Government XI’s Management of the Missing and the Dead for the announcement of casualties. 

DSWD XI said its earthquake response covers 38,910 affected families or 126,243 individuals in Davao Region, with the majority — 36,100 families — coming from Davao Occidental. 

It reported distributing 31,854 family food packs worth ₱25.2 million, 1,727 non-food items worth ₱5.94 million, and 2,220 ready-to-eat food packs worth ₱2.15 million. 

Each food pack contains six kilograms of vacuum-sealed rice, 10 canned goods, five coffee sachets, and soup powders.

Paragamac said the agency also provides non-food assistance such as tents. 

The DSWD assisted injured evacuees airlifted from Sarangani to the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and provided hospital financial aid, she said.

The DPWH noted damage in areas such as Tabayon, Malalan, Tanuman, Nuing, Butulan, Sugal, Patulang, Kitayo, Balangonan, Cayaponga. 

According to initial DPWH reports, five major roads between Malita and Jose Abad Santos have not yet been cleared, while the local government and DPWH have restored at least 10 roads, according to the OCD XI. 

The Philippine Information Agency said delivery remains difficult in the southern portion of Jose Abad Santos because of road damage and landslides. 

The DPWH said the Butulan Bridge and the Don Marcelino portion of the Davao-Sarangani-Coastal Road were among the damaged infrastructure.

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post Wednesday, Jose Abad Santos Mayor Jason John Joyce advised those who want to deliver assistance for the quake victims in his town to travel via General Santos City since the highway in Glan, Sarangani has been opened. He said this route is safer and faster.

Joyce added that donations can also be delivered to the Incident Command Post at the municipal hall. (Yas Ocampo/MindaNews)