The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Friday that it has delivered family food packs (FFPs) to all six provinces of Region V (Bicol), the region with the highest number of families and individuals affected by Severe Tropical Storm "Kristine".
“For the Region 5 emergency operations in response to Typhoon Kristine, lahat po ng six provinces ng Region V namely Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon ay napadalhan na po natin ng FFPs,” DSWD-National Resource and Logistic Management Bureau (NRLMB) Chief Administrative Officer Irish Flor Yaranon said.
Yaranon added that a total of 272,731 boxes of FFPs have been distributed to all local government units (LGUs) in the Bicol Region.
Of this total, Camarines Sur received the largest allocation with 94,318 FFPs, followed by Albay with 66,710 boxes, Camarines Norte with 30,253, Sorsogon with 26,008, Catanduanes with 7,895, and Masbate with 531 FFPs.
For Naga City in Camarines Sur, Yaranon said the Field Office V – Bicol Region has fulfilled the city government’s request, led by Mayor Nelson Legacion, for 35,000 FFPs.
In Albay, the DSWD has also released 10,088 boxes of FFPs to the LGU of Libon town.
Yaranon said the DSWD, with assistance from other agencies, is using all modes of transportation to deliver FFPs to areas in Bicol that are still submerged due to Kristine’s heavy rainfall.
“We are utilizing all modes of transportation—-by air, by land, and by sea,” the NRLMB chief administrative officer said.
In line with Secretary Rex Gatchalian’s directive, the DSWD is continuously delivering FFPs and other relief items to the Bicol Region.
“Ongoing po ang ating delivery ng FFPs both from the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) which is based in Pasay City and from the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) which is based in Mandaue City, Cebu,” the NRLMB official said.
In addition to the FFPs, the agency provided non-food items to various LGUs in Bicol, such as family kits, hygiene kits, kitchen kits, laminated sacks, and sleeping kits.
The Province of Camarines Sur also received 100 filtration kits for use in evacuation centers managed by LGUs.
“Lahat po ng mode of transportation ay ginagamit natin—-eroplano, barko, at ten-wheeler wing vans—-from both sites in Cebu and Pasay City para po makarating ang lahat ng ating FFPs to Region 5,” Yaranon said.
Yaranon also reported that DSWD aims to deliver 14,000 FFPs to augment prepositioned food packs in the island province of Batanes.
Currently, 5,500 boxes of FFPs are being transported by the Philippine Coast Guard and are expected to reach Batanes late Friday (November 1) or early Saturday (November 2).
“Yung 5,500 na FFPs ay en route na sa Batanes. Per advise ng Philippine Coast Guard this morning [October 31], once okay na ang weather, they will need to travel 20 hours para makarating sa Batanes,” Yaranon said.
The NRLMB official highlighted that the agency is exploring all possible entry ports and modes of transportation to deliver the 14,000 FFPs to Batanes, as instructed by Secretary Gatchalian.
“Another option is mayroon tayong ready na FFPs in Cagayan na pwede rin naman gamitin na jump off point, from Cagayan to Batanes. We are closely coordinating naman po sa Office of the Civil Defense for the air assets," Yaranon added.
As of press time, a total of 7,484 families, or 21,391 persons, have been affected by the onslaught of Kristine and Super Typhoon Leon in the 29 barangays of the island province.