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Sec. Dinky ensuring order in the distribution of relief goods at the Astrodome Evacuation Center in Sagkahan, Tacloban City
Sec. Dinky ensuring order in the distribution of relief goods at the Astrodome Evacuation Center in Sagkahan, Tacloban City

Intensifying relief operations for families in typhoon-hit Eastern Visayas, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) targets to produce 2.04 million family food packs within two weeks starting today.

To facilitate this, DSWD has set up additional repacking stations around Metro Manila in addition to the DSWD-National Resource Operations Center (NROC).

Said satellite stations are in De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Manila; Ateneo de Manila University in Katipunan, Quezon City; and, Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. Repacking is also being done in Camp Aguinaldo and in Villamor Air Base.

Regional repacking centers in Regions V, VII, X, and CARAGA remain open.

To date, 321,805 food packs have been repacked by volunteers in the satellite hubs. Some 223,649 of said relief packs have already been sent to the affected areas.

Meanwhile, relief operations in affected towns in Eastern Visayas continue with DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman leading the distribution.

Yesterday, the Department has started distributing 40,000 metric tons of high-energy biscuits from the World Food Programme (WFP).

Likewise, 5,692 food packs and 520 rice packs were distributed in affected municipalities in Leyte.

The distribution of additional 2,480 sacks of rice will also be completed today.

Evacuees at the Astrodome Evacuation Center in Sagkahan, Tacloban City lining up to get their food packs distributed by DSWD.
Evacuees at the Astrodome Evacuation Center in Sagkahan, Tacloban City lining up to get their food packs distributed by DSWD.

Early this morning, eight truckloads containing 7,200 food packs and 7,200 1-litter bottled water were dispatched to serve all affected towns in Leyte.

Some 750 food packs were also distributed at the Astrodome evacuation Center, Sagkahan, Tacloban City. The food packs were donated by Korean Relief Churches, Korea.

Relief goods were also sent via trucks to the towns of Mahaplag, Javier, McArthur, Julita, DUlag, Buraen, Tabontabon, Carigara, Barugo, Tolosa, Tanauan, Tunga, Jaro, AlangAlang, and San Miguel.

Relief items from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) composed of 3,010 pieces of hygiene kits, 100 pieces of squatting plates, 100 pans and P traps, 180 pieces of tarpaulin, and nine crates of water tanks arrived in Tacloban this morning.

Secretary Soliman is calling on groups and individuals to provide transportation support especially trucks to ferry relief goods.

Twelve members of the DSWD Motorcycle Riders Group will fly to Tacloban City anytime to assist in relief operations and information gathering.

There are 21 remaining evacuation centers in Tacloban with 6,181 families or 30,907 persons.

Meanwhile, in Western Visayas, which was also affected by Typhoon Yolanda, the DSWD has already provided 38,491 family packs worth P10 million to six provinces in the region.

Iloilo received P5.4 million worth of relief assistance, Capiz got P1.6 million, Aklan with P1.3 million, Antique with P792,130, Negros Occidental received P547,056, and Guimaras got P214,542. ###