More volunteers needed to help DSWD prepare food relief for E. Visayas

At least 1,000 volunteers are needed to help prepare 50,000 family food packs a day for typhoon victims in Eastern Visayas, officials said yesterday.

Repacking is being done at the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan and the DSWD-7 field office along M.J. Cuenco Ave in Cebu City.

Each family pack contains six kilos of rice and 10 canned goods. Bottles of waters are distributed separately.

“We just need man power and logistics for this operation,” said Aileen Lariba, information officer of the Dept. of Social Work and Development.

“If we receive orders to extend this beyond 50,000 packs per day then we will continue, she said.

“Sometimes there are goods but no boat. Sometimes there are boats but no goods,” she said.

DSWD officials met with officials of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) regional office yesterday to discuss how to transport relief goods to Eastern Visayas faster.

The air force is prioritizing the loading of relief goods and aid workers. There are limited slots for civilian passengers.

“We advise affected relatives if they want to go home earlier, they can take the passenger vessels because if they wait for C-130 flights, it will just take them longer,” Lariba said.

The DSWD-7 handles the logistics of sending food packs to Eastern Visayas while their counterpart office there will take charge of distribution of goods at the airport.

Parolita Mission, Nutrition Program Coordinator for Region 7, said evacuees were vulnerable to infection.

“They need food with high calories and protein,” Mission said.

Rice is important while ready-to-eat foods are ideal because it can be stored for long periods.

Lariba also encouraged people to donate goods instead of cash to the government.

She said it takes time to process cash donations to the goverment since it has to be processed and accounted for subject to Commission on Audit rules.

“The money has to be turned over to the National Treasury then we have to request for release of funds to buy relief goods,” she explained.

Lariba said it is better to give relief goods and the DSWD-7 team will just do the repacking.

The relief packs will be sent to Ormoc, Tacloban, Isabel and Guian in Samar.

“We need communication with those other areas in Eastern Visayas that need help so that we can immediately respond” she said.

Lariba said the DSWD-7 did not overlook the need for assistance to typhoon victims in northern Cebu.

“We added relief goods for Cebu province and they will be in charge of repacking and sending it off,” she said.