Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian reminded regional directors of calamity-stricken and flood-hit provinces in Central and Northern Luzon to swiftly release their allocated food packs so that families and individuals can immediately partake of the relief goods.

The DSWD noted that for the past two days, the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) has been releasing thousands of boxes of family food packs (FFPs) way above their targets.

“ I hope all the RDs are allocating these and releasing them as fast as NROC. And we hope that the stakeholders get them fast. The goods should not sleep in our warehouses,” Secretary Gatchalian told the regional directors of Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon) and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The DSWD regional directors assured Secretary Gatchalian that they will stick to the delivery plan as designed by the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG).

Ilocos Regional Director Marie Angela Gopalan said all their requests for FFPs have been all accounted for to date.

“We will finalize how my team plans the distribution of the goods to the requesting parties. We will update you Sec. (Gatchalian),” Gopalan said.

Central Luzon Regional Director Jonathan Dirain also assured the DSWD chief that starting Wednesday (August 2), the hauling and pick-up of FFPs from NROC will increase considerably as the stakeholders have already engaged service providers for the trucks.

CAR Regional Director Leo Quintilla, meanwhile, reported that boxes of FFPs and water supplies have been flown using Philippine Air Force choppers to the Municipality of Calanasan in Apayao province on Tuesday (August 1).

“Queries on how to donate to DSWD are starting to pour. We have opened our donation desks in all provinces. Water and food items are our priority needs,” Director Quintilla said.

DRMG Assistant Secretary Marlon Alagao said he will check with the donations unit in the Central Office on how to go about private donations to the DSWD.#