Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Thursday, July 27, ordered the immediate delivery of 20,000 family food packs (FFPs) to the Ilocos Region, which was hit by flooding brought about by Super Typhoon “Egay” and the enhanced southwest monsoon.
Secretary Gatchalian directed the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) to use its service providers for the immediate dispatch of the 20,000 FFPs from the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) based in Pasay City.
“Let’s dispatch whatever it takes. Have your service providers dispatch now the requested food packs by the concerned regions,” the DSWD chief told DRMG Assistant Secretary Marlon Alagao.
The DSWD-DRMG has earlier successfully dispatched some 17,000 FFPs to four warehouses in Cagayan, Isabela, and Quirino provinces which are under the Cagayan Valley Region that bore the brunt of Super Typhoon “Egay”.
On Thursday, the DSWD Ilocos Regional Office downloaded 10,000 FFPs to the Ilocos Norte provincial government, which declared a state of calamity in the province due to the massive flooding and damages caused by “Egay”.
Ilocos Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan has requested an additional 20,000 FFPs from the DSWD Central Office to replenish their stocks of food packs.
The strong winds and heavy rains in Ilocos Norte caused damages to the DSWD regional warehouse in Laoag City, resulting in some 1,000 food boxes being soaked in water.
The Cordillera Administrative Region Field Office has also requested 10,000 FFPs for replenishment of their stocks.
The DSWD Ilocos Regional Office has so far provided a total of P8,286,307.16 worth of humanitarian aid to families and individuals affected by “Egay”, which enhanced the southwest monsoon that caused heavy rains in the region.
In her report to Secretary Gatchalian, Regional Director Gopalan said the regional office has dispatched various food and non-food items broken down as follows: Ilocos Norte – 2,328 FFPs, 40 hygiene kits, and 40 sleeping kits; Adams, Ilocos Norte – 40 family FFPs; Burgos, Ilocos Sur – 31 FFPs; Vigan, Ilocos Sur 300 FFPs; and Bangar, La Union – 1,500 FFPs.
Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, who is also DSWD spokesperson, assured all those affected by “Egay” that the DSWD Ilocos Regional Office still has enough relief supplies, despite the damage caused by heavy rains to its stockpile in Laoag City.
“We have enough resources in our Field Office 1. Our regional office and its warehouses have more than 77,000 FFPs and over 28,000 non-food items around the Ilocos Region. These can be immediately delivered to different provinces in the region so our kababayans should not worry if there were water-damaged FFPs,” Asst. Secretary Lopez said.
The Department will also continue to monitor the condition of 875 displaced families who are currently staying in 108 evacuation centers in the Ilocos Region, the DSWD spokesperson said. (DSWD Press Release)
