The government has delivered 7.1 million kilograms of relief goods to regions devastated by Typhoon Odette last month using available state assets, the chief of the country’s civil defense agency said on Monday.
In his report to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Office of Civil Defense Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad said the relief goods were sent to different regions using transportation assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and civilian cargo aircraft.
Jalad, who is also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), reported that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total of 786,000 family food packs with a monetary value of about P440 million. Among the recipients were Central, Eastern and Western Visayas, as well as Caraga region.
The government also continues to provide clean drinking water to communities affected by the typhoon. So far, Jalad said they have delivered 1.7 million liters of bottled water purchased by the OCD.
The agency also received 1.9 million liters of donated bottled water and is currently distributing 1.5 million liters.
The Lucio Tan Group of Companies made the donations and four OCD regional offices in Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao region, and Soccsksargen funded the purchase of bottled water to be sent to typhoon-ravaged areas in Caraga and Central Visayas.
The government, Jalad said, is also doing door-to-door delivery of bottled water, targeting 2,989 barangays, particularly those with outbreak of diarrhea and other water-borne diseases, as well as those with disruption in water supply.
A total of 2.2 million liters of bottled water was distributed so far in different barangays with the assistance of the personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
In terms of emergency shelter assistance, the national government has downloaded P487 million to the local government units, Jalad reported.
LGUs are also distributing emergency shelter assistance amounting to P4.8 billion. The money was sent directly by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to local government units mostly in Central, Western and Eastern Visayas.
Jalad said the OCD is also continuing with its post-disaster needs assessment in areas affected by Typhoon Odette and could be concluded by the end of January.
The post-disaster needs assessment will be submitted to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (RDRRMCs) or to the NDRRMC by the middle of February.
There are 2.3 million affected families or 8 million individuals in different regions, Jalad said, noting they recorded 406 deaths, 1,265 injuries and 65 missing persons.
The disaster also displaced 339,478 individuals who are currently staying in 1,146 evacuation centers and with their relatives.
Some 1.3 million houses were damaged by the typhoon, based on government record. PND
