Quezon city: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to complete on Thursday the delivery of the second wave of family food packs (FFPs) to areas affected by the recent earthquake in Cebu, which will bring the total number of distributed FFPs to nearly 450,000 boxes.
According to Philippines News Agency, Director Maria Isabel Lanada of the DSWD's Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB) stated that the agency continues to operate tirelessly to fulfill the outstanding requests of local government units (LGUs) affected by the destructive tremor. Lanada announced during the Thursday Media Forum at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City that the response operations are ongoing and that they aim to complete the remaining balance for areas under Field Office 7 - Central Visayas.
The DSWD needs to deliver about 43,000 food packs to meet the second wave target, which is ahead of the initially set completion date of Saturday. Following the Sept. 30 earthquake, LGUs from 11 towns and one city requested 225,000 boxes of FFPs from the DSWD. The first wave of distribution was completed on Oct. 3, with Secretary Rex Gatchalian highlighting it as the fastest deployment of such a volume of supplies in the department's history.
During the first wave, food aid reached the City of Bogo and the municipalities of Medellin, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Tabuelan, Sogod, Tabogon, Borbon, Catmon, Sta. Fe, Madridejos, and Bantayan. For the second wave, Gatchalian committed to providing an additional 225,000 FFPs to these areas to sustain food support for their quake-hit residents while rehabilitation efforts continue.
In addition to food packs, the DSWD's ready-to-eat food (RTEF) and mobile kitchen have played a crucial role in ensuring that Cebuano families do not go hungry. Mobile kitchens from DSWD field offices in Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas are strategically stationed in Northern Cebu, with a fifth kitchen from Northern Mindanao on its way to extend support.
Furthermore, the DSWD has deployed tents to the Tent City in Bogo to protect internally displaced persons (IDPs) from weather elements while temporary shelters are being established. Disaster frontliners from the DSWD, in collaboration with LGU counterparts, are also engaging in activities aimed at alleviating the trauma and stress caused by the disaster.
