DSWD distributes 142,000 food packs to families in quake-hit Cebu

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported Saturday that it has released 142,000 family food packs (FFPs) to local government units (LGUs) in Cebu province to aid families affected by the September 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

The FFPs were requested by the 11 quake-hit LGUs, whose mayors were visited by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian during his rounds in Central Visayas this week. The DSWD’s Field Office 7 (FO-7) is working double time to assist LGUs in disaster response, while the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City operates at full capacity to produce additional FFPs.

Quick Response Teams (QRTs) from FO-7 have been deployed to San Remigio and Medellin in northeastern Cebu to conduct relief operations. Meanwhile, the FO-7 continues profiling affected families using Family Access Cards in Emergencies and Disasters (FACED), particularly in Bogo City, which was the hardest hit by the tremor.

Nearby DSWD field offices in Western Visayas and the Bicol Region are on standby to support relief operations in Cebu as needed. Thousands more FFPs are expected to arrive soon to help quake-affected communities recover.