The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will deliver anytime today via C130 some 10,000 food packs from the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC)  to Borongan, Eastern Samar to augment the resources of the local government units (LGU) for survivors of Typhoon Ruby.

Strategically located, the CICC is the central coordination point and a relief hub for disaster operations in Visayas and Mindanao.

DSWD targets to deliver around 100,000 additional food packs to Eastern Samar.

It is also calling on volunteers for the Cebu Hub, to help in the repacking. Interested volunteers may call Jo Belontindos at 09391748342.

DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman was in Cebu yesterday to oversee the operations of the hub.

More relief deliveries

Meanwhile, National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City will provide augmentation support to Bicol Region, Southern Luzon, MIMAROPA, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila where ‘Ruby’ will also pass through. NROC shall maintain 100,000 food packs at all times.

Yesterday, NROC transported 6,720 food packs and several non-food items to the Bicol Region using five trucks from the World Food Programme (WFP).

Likewise, some 1,687 food packs were transported to Office of Civil Defense Warehouse in Batangas City for distribution to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, and another 1,687 food packs to Sangley Point in Cavite for distribution to Romblon.

NROC has also allocated available food packs for prepositioning activities in Central Luzon with 10,000 packs, MIMAROPA with 20,000, and Southern Luzon with 5,000.

As of 7 am today, the total assistance extended to typhoon-affected families is P12.2 million from the combined resources of DSWD with P10.7 million and LGUs with P1.5 million.

 Evacuation centers

To date, a total of 104,658 families or 352,799 persons have fled their homes and sought temporary shelter in 1,758 evacuation centers in typhoon-hit areas.

DSWD social workers continue to assist LGUs in managing the evacuation centers especially along provision of hot meals, distribution of food packs, conduct of play therapy for children, and profiling of evacuees.

Meanwhile, members of the DSWD Quick Response Teams (QRT) continue to coordinate with local disaster councils to monitor and assess the extent of the disaster, and to identify other services needed by the affected families. ###