DSWD Ensures Delivery of Goods to ‘Ruby’-hit Towns

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman on Monday said that all available means of transportation will be used to deliver goods in all areas affected by Typhoon Ruby.

“It is a challenge to deliver goods to areas affected by the typhoon as there are roads which remain impassable and communication signals are cut, but we are exerting our best effort. We should not let the survivors wait,” Sec. Soliman said.

Sec. Soliman said that five military trucks loaded with food packs were sent to Borongan, Eastern Samar Sunday night to augment the resources of the local government units (LGUs) for ‘Ruby’ survivors.

DSWD will also send goods to Dolores town as soon as possible.

The goods being delivered by DSWD now are on top of those prepositioned before the typhoon entered the country.

“As early as Thursday last week, DSWD already delivered the first batch of relief goods to affected areas in preparation for the typhoon,” Sec. Soliman said.

She also instructed the Regional Directors of DSWD-Field Offices IX, X, XI, and CARAGA to send 15,000 family food packs each as augmentation to Eastern Visayas.

Likewise, as of 2 p.m. Monday, a total of 1,694 family food packs are currently in Batangas Pier for transport to Oriental Mindoro, while another 1,694 food packs are in Sangley Point, Cavite bound for Romblon.

As of Monday, the total assistance extended to typhoon-affected families amounts to P60.71 million from the combined resources of DSWD with P53.72 million and LGUs with P6.99 million. Some 231,995 families or 1,049,101 persons continue to stay in 3,640 evacuation centers in all affected regions.

As of Monday in NCR , three evacuation centers in Manila, Navotas and Parañaque were opened to accommodate 111 families or 431 persons.

Call for Volunteers

Meanwhile, DSWD continues to call for volunteers to help repack goods at its three relief hubs located at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) along Chapel Road, Pasay City; Cebu International Convention Center along Guizo, Mandaue, Cebu City; and at the Sacred Heart Gymnasium along Gen Maxilom Ave. Cebu City.

Interested volunteers for NROC should first contact Prescilla Nitafan at 09084215334 or Marlyn Cumba at 09173149206 for scheduling of shifts.

For Cebu, interested individuals and groups are requested to coordinate with Jo Belontindos at 09391748342.

At least 450 volunteers per shift of eight hours are needed at NROC to repack 100,000 food packs for distribution to affected local government units in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and MIMAROPA. (DSWD)