THE DEPARTMENT of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 8 (Eastern Visayas) has sent the first batch of relief augmentation to areas affected by recent typhoons in Luzon.
A total of 5,000 family food packs (FFP) were initially transported to the Bicol region through the assistance of the Philippine Army and the Coast Guard on November 21 and 23.
Joshua Kempis, DSWD-8 disaster response management information officer, said Thursday this is part of the 10,000 FFPs requested by the National Resource and Logistic Management Bureau of their central office to augment its ongoing relief operations in the Luzon areas.
"As of now, the repacking of the remaining food packs is still ongoing with the help of our volunteers, while we are still waiting for the next schedule of delivery," Kempis said in a phone interview.
Each food pack contains 5 kg. of rice, assorted canned goods, and five sachets each of coffee and cereal drinks.
The supply is expected to last two to three days for a family of five, he said, adding that the region’s stockpile would be replenished immediately with the repacking at the DSWD-8 warehouse in Abucay village here.
"As the head of the food and non-food items cluster of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, DSWD ensures that it always has relief items on standby, ready to be distributed in disaster-affected towns and cities," Kempis said.
On November 1, Super Typhoon Rolly, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, left thousands of families in the Bicol homeless.
Barely two weeks after, Typhoon Ulysses triggered massive flooding, particularly in Cagayan and Isabela provinces and some parts of Metro Manila. (By Gerico Sabalza)
