By Junex Doronio

MANILA — In coordination with local government units (LGUs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already released 360,228 family food packs to areas severely affected by the super typhoon Carina.

This was disclosed on Thursday (25 July 2024) by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian when he reported to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos in Malacañang.

He said the DSWD is ready to replenish the supply of FFPs to the LGUs affected by the onslaught of super typhoon Carina compounded by the southwest monsoon or ‘Habagat’.

“Now, it’s noteworthy to point out na, there’s another 100,000 request that came in after 12 midnight last night. So, it would bring us to 500,000 family food packs. We are ready to supply that, we are just waiting for the LGUs to pick them up kasi yun ang normal arrangements because they have the  trucks while we only have 1-2 trucks,” Gatchalian told the President during the situation briefing at the Trooper’s Cafe in Malacañang Park.

“It is broken down as follows: 39,038 sa National Capital Region (NCR); 171,147 sa Central Luzon; 90,957 for 4-A (CALABARZON); 38,766 for 4-B (MIMAROPA); and for Region-5 (Bicol), we have 20,000. Mr. President these are granulated. When we say released, it is either in our field offices already waiting to be picked up kasi when we spoke to the mayors, lahat sila, yesterday (Wednesday), they are all in rescue mode muna,” the DSWD chief said.

He pointed out that the DSWD is continuously coordinating with the local executives of the affected LGUs to ensure that the needs of the affected families will be swiftly provided.

“As we speak, LGUs are picking up. In fact, yesterday I touched base with the Metro Manila mayors, the governors of Luzon, lahat sila they are in that mode yesterday na ang focus ay rescue muna. Yung mga nasa evacuation centers namin na around 33,000 families, we’ll take care of them,” Gatchalian noted. 

He also informed the President that the DSWD is continuously providing augmentation support to the LGUs affected by the recent flooding incidents in some parts of Visayas and Mindanao due to the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the southwest monsoon.

“Mr. President, yung issue natin sa Mindanao we’re still continuing with that. We haven’t stopped providing the request ng  Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) area because they also need an augmentation. That’s Maguindanao Del Norte, Del Sur, and Lanao Del Sur so tuloy tuloy rin ho tayo  doon, yes hindi rin natin binibitawan yun, that’s being serviced out by our Field Offices in Mindanao,” Gatchalian said.

(el Amigo/mnm)