CLARK FREEPORT—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ordered the release of at least 289,906 boxes of family food packs (FFPs) intended for Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).
Secretary Rex Gatchalian has instructed the regional directors in Ilocos, Central Luzon, and CAR to check on the needs of local government units (LGUs) which experienced flooding due to the Southwest monsoon that was enhanced by Typhoon Egay and Falcon.
The National Resource Operations Center (NROC), the main disaster response hub of the DSWD located in Pasay City, is expected to dispatch a total of 289,906 boxes of FFPs in the first two weeks of August as augmentation assistance to the LGUs in Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, and CAR.
Of the total number of FFPs for dispatch, 120,406 FFPs will be sent to the Ilocos Regional Office while 24,500 FFPs will be sent to CAR field office.
This is in line with Gatchalian’s directive to the Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) to prepare the matrix for the total number of FFPs for immediate dispatch.
For Central Luzon, Gatchalian directed Field Office – 3 Director Jonathan Dirain to relay to the LGUs to pick up their assigned FFPs at the National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City because of their proximity to the National Capital Region (NCR).
Central Luzon has the biggest allocation of FFPs at 140,000 boxes intended for the provinces which experienced heavy flooding due to the enhanced “Habagat” brought about by then Super Typhoon Egay and now Typhoon Falcon.
DRMG Undersecretary Diane Cajipe said the FFPs intended for the provinces in Region 3 include Pampanga with 50,000 FFPs; Bataan, 30,000; Bulacan, 50,000; and Zambales, 10,000 FFPs.
Pampanga’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said that a state of calamity was declared in Macabebe, San Simon, Sto.
Tomas, and San Luis due to floods brought by Typhoon Egay.
The PDRRMO said that 222 barangays in 16 municipalities in the province were flooded.
The Office of Civil Defense in Central Luzonn said more than 189,000 families were affected by the flooding in Region 3, and relief operations are continuing.
Floodings were also reported in the provinces of Bataan, Zambales and Bulacan, where a total of 22 municipalities and cities were flooded Monday (July 31) due to the continuous rains over the weekend brought by the Southwest monsoon enhanced by “Falcon.”
Flood-affected areas in Bulacan include Angat, Norzagaray, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Meycauayan, Marilao, Sta Maria, Balagtas, Bustos, Plaridel, Baliuag, Bocaue, Guiguinto, Pandi, Hagonoy, Paombong, Pulilan, Malolos, Calumpit, San Jose Del Monte, Obando, and Bulacan, Bulacan.
The Bulacan provincial government said a total of 25,601 families are now staying in various evacuation centers in the province.
PAGASA said the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Falcon will bring occasional monsoon rains over the western portion of Luzon in the next three days.