TACLOBAN CITY – Some 26,250 additional family food packs (FFPs) have been delivered for Typhoon “Ambo” (Vongfong) victims in Samar provinces, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday.
A total of 11,300 packs were distributed in the towns of Arteche, Can-avid, Dolores, Oras, and Borongan City in Eastern Samar and 14,950 packs for Catarman, Northern Samar, said Joshua Kempis, DSWD Eastern Visayas disaster response operation division information officer.
“Each food pack contains rice, coffee, and canned goods good for three to five days for a family of five members,” he said in a phone interview.
The additional relief supply is part of the augmentation from the DSWD Visayas Disaster Response Center in Cebu City.
Kempis said the regional office here has requested 40,000 FFPs and as of Tuesday, a total of 32,950 packs have been delivered, the remaining 6,300 is expected to arrive in the next days.
The DSWD thanked the Office of the Civil Defense, the Philippine Army, the Air Force, and the Navy for the logistic support.
Meanwhile, Kempis clarified they only dispatch relief goods when a town requests for augmentation.
“The local government units (LGU) is always the first responder in any disaster. When needed, we extend support by augmenting their supply,” he said.
Based on initial reports from LGUs, 29,193 families were affected in Northern Samar and 33,715 in Eastern Samar.
“As of now, we are still gathering more reports on the total number of affected families. Our response teams are now on standby, ready to assist our LGUs in the relief operations,” Kempis said.
On May 14, the typhoon brought violent winds and heavy to intense rains over the northern portion of Eastern Samar and the southern portion of Northern Samar, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Service Administration.
The typhoon packed maximum sustained winds of up to 155 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 255 kph. (PNA)
