By Alec Go
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has already covered the first five waves of food pack supplies that will last for 15 days for families affected by the Mayon Volcano.
In a Palace briefing Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said around 38,000 food packs have been transferred to local government units, including the provincial government, to cover 8,000 families.
Gatchalian said the food packs supply is on a “wave after wave” basis, with the next six days covered by the provincial government.
“Sabi nila, we wanna complement each other’s resources rather than overlap each other’s resources. Pagkatapos ng six days nila, that brings us to 21 days, papasok ulit ang DSWD with another 15 days. It’s wave after wave. That will bring us close to 45 days,” he said.
“Bottomline natin dito, lahat ng nailikas ng lokal na pamahalaan na nasa evacuation centers, hawak na ng kanilang alkalde, ng kanilang local officials yung food for the next 15 days. After which, the provincial government will step in,” he added.
The official said talks are ongoing with the provincial government over the possible distribution of cash assistance for affected residents, noting that some displaced individuals have other needs that are not included in food packs.
They have yet to determine the amount and the distribution for the cash assistance.
The Mayon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 3, with its permanent danger zone extended to seven kilometers by the local government as a preemptive measure amid the volcano’s activities. – gb
