SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has provided a total of 15,757 family food packs (FFPs) as of October 4 to the victims of Super Typhoon Julian in the province of Ilocos Norte.
The total cost of the distributed FFPs to the province amounted to P11,462,284.85.
This data was presented by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the situation briefing on the effects of Super Typhoon Julian.
The briefing among cabinet secretaries with the president was held on October 4 at the Provincial Capitol of Ilocos Norte.
“We continuously work with the local officials because we are ready to deploy more. For the region and Ilocos Norte, we have a standby of close to a hundred thousand food packs before the storm hits, and we are constantly augmenting that,” Gatchalian said.
“So [with] the request of the province [Ilocos Norte] for more food packs, we’ll work with them on that. It’s ready and it’s in our warehouses; it’s ready and is for deployment,” he added.
Meanwhile, the province received 1,000 other non-food items (bottled water), 53 family kits (P119,600.00), 152 hygiene kits (P227,696.00), 62 kitchen kits (P91,115.00), and 152 sleeping kits (P215,536.00).
The total amount of distributed aid to Ilocos Norte is 12,176,231.45, including food and non-food items.
The province of Ilocos Sur, also one of the major hit provinces by Super Typhoon Julian in the Ilocos Region, received 2,244 (1,674,136.20) FFPs.
Furthermore, Secretary Gatchalian stated that the DSWD will begin processing the province’s request for cash assistance once the local government provides a complete list of intended recipients. (AMB/REB/PIA Region 1)
