By Michelle Ducut
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total of 117, 161 family food packs to residents in the Ilocos Region affected by recent disasters.
The distribution included 12, 723 food packs in Ilocos Norte, 1, 742 in Ilocos Sur (along with 1, 274 non-food items), 6, 581 in La Union, and 96, 115 in Pangasinan, with 844 non-food items. These aid efforts were in response to the impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, Super Typhoon Leon, and Typhoon Marce, which struck the region in recent weeks.
Each food pack contains six kilos of rice, four cans of tuna, four cans of corned beef, two cans of sardines, five sachets of instant coffee, and five sachets of cereal. Non-food items distributed include hygiene kits.
The DSWD Ilocos Region has also prepared additional supplies to support local government units in the event of Typhoon Nika. This includes 59, 205 food packs, 14, 354 non-food items, and 12, 144 six-liter bottles of drinking water, along with a PHP3 million standby fund.
In addition to material aid, psychosocial first aid is being provided, particularly to children, to help them cope with the emotional stress caused by displacement from their homes due to the disasters.