THE City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) started the second wave distribution of food packs and utilities subsidy to residents in Zamboanga City amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Ma. Socorro Rojas, CSWDO chief, said the distribution started on Thursday, May 7, in Zone 1 village, which was designated as the pilot area for the City Government’s second wave of relief operations.

Rojas said 600 families have been identified as beneficiaries in Zone 1, which is one of the four villages in the city proper.

Each food pack contains a sack of 25 kilos rice, two cans meat loaf, two cans corned beef, two cans sardines, one-half red squash, one-half kilo eggplant or potatoes, one piece sayote, and one pack iodized salt.

Rojas also said P1,000 subsidy is allocated to each of the beneficiaries for the payment of electricty (P500) and water (P500) bills.

The subsidy is directly released to the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) and Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD), which will be deducted on the bills of the beneficiaries.

Rojas said that 250,000 families in 98 villages will receive the second wave of relief operations.

The City Government has allocated some P263 million for the second wave of relief operations, according to Kenneth Vincent Beldua, city secretary.

The number of beneficiaries is based on the number of quarantine passes the City Government has issued. (SunStar Zamboanga)