The livelihoods of jeepney drivers have been significantly affected by heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones “Crising,” “Dante” and “Emong,” forcing them off routes due to flooded roads and decreased ridership.

To ensure these drivers and their families do not go hungry, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday directed the Field Office-National Capital Region to extend food assistance, in the form of family food packs (FFPs), to members of the Pasang Masda transport group in Tayuman.

“We know that our jeepney drivers have not been able to ply their routes for almost a week because the roads are flooded, and many of their homes were also flooded. That’s why...a group of them, Pasang Masda, led by Ka Obet, coordinated with us to see if there could be a special distribution of family food packs for our jeepney drivers,” Gatchalian said in a statement.

The DSWD chief said the agency has allocated 3,500 boxes of FFPs for the jeepney drivers. This aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s consistent directive to concerned government agencies to ensure no Filipino goes hungry during such challenging times.

Gatchalian assured the public that FFP production is ongoing at the agency’s main hubs, the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City and the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Mandaue City, Cebu province. This ensures sufficient stocks of food packs.

“Before Crising arrived, we already had three million family food packs in our warehouses, and we haven’t stopped there; while there are stocks, production continues,” the DSWD chief said.

“Our countrymen should not worry. Your DSWD is ready, whatever disaster, whatever challenge it may be, we have enough food. By order of our President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in times like these, no Filipino should go hungry,” he added.