DSWD Intensifies Food Distribution for Typhoon Ruby Survivors

Amid road clearing in major thorough fares to Borongan town in Eastern Samar, which was heavily affected by Typhoon Ruby, staff of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) accompanied five military trucks loaded with rice sacks and food packs for typhoon survivors here.

Upon arriving in the town, they proceeded to five barangays where they distributed 189 sacks of rice for 1,575 families. These were in the villages of Bugas where they provided 60 rice sacks, Sta. Fe with 38, Canhaway with 17, Tamoso with 31, and San Santorino with 43.

These are on top of the food assistance earlier prepositioned by the DSWD in the town.

For the whole province of Eastern Samar, DSWD has already provided 6,150 sacks of rice and 9,900 family food packs. The towns which received the 50-kg. rice aid were Balangiga 200, Borongan 200, Can-avid 400, Dolores 650, Giporlos 200, Guiuan 200, Hernani 250, Jipapad 350, Lawaan 300, Mercedes 200, Oras 200, Salcedo 200, San Policarpio 400, Sulat 400.

The Provincial Social Welfare Office was also given 2000 sacks.

On the other hand, towns which received family food packs were Llorente with 1440 food packs and Quinapondan with 960.

Some 5,000 food packs were also prepositioned at the DSWD Borongan Hub.

Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman is now in Borongan to oversee the ongoing disaster operations in the town.

Sec. Soliman said that 30,000 food packs will come from DSWD-Field Office XI and Caraga going to the town of Taft and municipalities north of Borongan.

Total aid

Meanwhile, provision of assistance in other regions affected by ‘Ruby’ continues.

As of 10 a.m. today, a total of P62 million has been provided to typhoon survivors from the combined resources of DSWD with P55 million and local government units (LGU) with P6 million.

Repacking of relief goods continues in the different relief hubs in Cebu and at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City.

DSWD-Field Office MIMAROPA also opened a relief hub in Batangas City as pick up and delivery point for Oriental and Occidental Mindoro and Romblon.

Evacuees

As of press time, a total of 463,449 families or 2,065,224 persons have been affected.

Some 5,193 evacuation centers, down from 5,529 at the height of the typhoon, continue to serve 369,193 families or 1,653,241 persons.

DSWD-Field Offices in the regions affected by ‘Ruby’ reported that some evacuees have started to return to their homes after the weather has cleared in their areas.

Members of the DSWD’s Quick Response Team in the affected regions continue to coordinate with LGUs to monitor and assess the impact of the disaster. (DSWD)