The Mandaue City Government has initiated a comprehensive house-to-house validation process to assess flood damage reports, with priority given to the severely affected barangays of Paknaan and Umapad.
Validation Process and Timeline
City Administrator Gonzalo "Sally" Malig-on announced that the verification exercise, which began on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, is expected to take approximately two to three weeks to complete. The primary objective is to verify initial reports compiled during the typhoon's peak and ensure equitable distribution of assistance to genuinely affected residents.
Teams from the City Social Welfare Services (CSWS) are collaborating with barangay officials to conduct sitio-by-sitio inspections, visiting homes to verify the actual conditions reported by residents. The validation process involves direct interviews and physical assessment of property damage.
Ensuring Credibility and Preventing Bias
To maintain the integrity of the validation process, Malig-on implemented strict measures to prevent potential conflicts of interest. CSWS personnel are prohibited from conducting validations in their own barangays and are instead assigned to different areas to ensure impartial assessments.
"If a CSWS worker lives in a certain barangay, they will be assigned to validate in a different one. This is to avoid bias and ensure credibility," Malig-on emphasized during the announcement.
Addressing Initial Reports and Future Assistance
The city administrator explained that initial damage reports submitted by barangays were compiled rapidly during the typhoon emergency, necessitating physical verification to confirm their accuracy. The validated list may see adjustments—either increases or decreases—based on the field findings.
Malig-on noted that the National Government has requested damage data through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for potential assistance programs. While Mandaue City has submitted its initial report, the entries remain subject to verification through the ongoing process.
Meanwhile, Mandaue City is preparing separate assistance measures specifically targeting families who lost their homes to floods. "The City will have a different course of action for those who lost their homes. These families need long-term solutions," Malig-on added, highlighting the city's commitment to addressing both immediate and long-term recovery needs.
