‘IT’S NOT ENOUGH’: DSWD-6 releases 13,300 food packs, but mayor says they need more

By Jennifer P. Rendon and Joseph B.A. Marzan

The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Field Office VI (DSWD-6) has already released 13,300 family food packs (FFPs) to several areas under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

But local officials said the aid will not suffice to help their constituents.

The 13,300 FFPs worth P2,656,500 were released starting July 16 until 3:30 p.m. of July 21.

DSWD-6 public information officer May Rago-Castillo said the release of more food packs is still going on.

DSWD-6 records indicated that Cabatuan town was the first to receive 500 FFPs on July 16, a day when the city and province of Iloilo reverted to ECQ status.

On July 17, the agency released 1,000 FFPs to Iloilo City.

Leon town got 500 food packs on July 19.

The following day, DSWD-6 delivered food packs for Concepcion (1,000); Tigbauan (800); Iloilo City (2,000); Sara (1,400); and Miag-ao (500).

On July 21, a total of 5,600 FFPs were given to Iloilo City (2,000); Miag-ao (1,000); San Dionisio (1,000); Sara (600); Tubungan (500); Oton (500).

Castillo explained that the cost of each food pack varies because of the variety of goods inside each box.

For one, each food pack that went to Cabatuan town costs P530 while those from Cebu was at P486.

Items sent by the Visayas Disaster Response Center based in Cebu is worth P465 and the propositioned goods are worth P360 each pack.

Recently, the DSWD-6 received 5,000 augmentation FFPs from VDRC following the request made by DSWD-6 regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre to their Central Office for additional goods for Ilonggos affected by the ECQ imposition.

DSWD-6 added that they have also requested for additional food packs to help the Ilonggos cope during the ECQ period.

On top of that, the agency also proposed giving financial assistance to affected Ilonggo families.

“We are recommending provision of cash to the families because this option will be more responsive to the urgent needs of the people,” Macapobre said.

The DSWD, being a national agency, provides technical assistance and resource augmentation to Local Government Units.

Disaster and emergency response remains as the primary responsibility of the LGUs based on Republic Act 10121 known as “An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System.”

“We hope that the proposal will be approved because we understand the plight of many families who badly need it,” she said.

 

MORE AID NEEDED

But Cabatuan town Mayor Ronilo Caspe said on Wednesday that the food packs they received from DSWD-6 were not enough to sustain households affected by the ECQ in the province.

Caspe told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo that the intended beneficiaries were those working in establishments that were not allowed to operate as mandated by Executive Order No. 258 series of 2021.

Under Section 7(4) of EO No. 258, the following establishments are prohibited from operating in the entire province during the ECQ:

-Entertainment venues with live performers;

-Recreational venues;

-Amusement parks or theme parks, fairs/peryas, kid amusement industries;

-Outdoor sports courts or venues for contact sports, scrimmages, games, or activities;

-Indoor sports courts or venues, fitness studios, gyms, spas or other indoor leisure centers or facilities and swimming pools;

-Casinos, horse racing, cockfighting and operation of cockpits, lottery and betting shops, and other gaming establishments except for the draws conducted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO);

-Indoor visitor or tourist attractions, libraries, archives, museums, galleries, and cultural shows and exhibits;

-Outdoor tourist attractions, including recreation activities in public beaches, inland waters and other tourist spots;

-Venues for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions; and

-Personal care services, including home services.

Caspe mayor said the food packs were not enough as they already distributed around 100 FFPs on July 20 to poblacion or town proper barangays alone.

The beneficiaries do not include those from other barangays which also have barber shops, beauty parlors, internet cafes, and other ECQ-prohibited establishments.

While Caspe admitted that the municipal government has not fully determined how much help they will need, he said that if they will give 2 to 3 food packs to each family for 15 days, the current number of food packs are not enough.

Caspe said that they may utilize their Quick Response Fund under Rep. Act No. 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010) or realign some of their own resources.

“We will request additional from the DSWD, and in case that it will still be lacking, we can also augment and use our town’s resources. We will see how we will utilize our calamity fund based on the guidelines of our Commission on Audit so we cannot be disallowed once we use that,” Caspe said.

He added that the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office (MSWDO) is also validating the status of establishments whose workers will benefit from the FFP distribution.

“Right now, because those who have been identified as affected are limited, they are coming to the MSWDO to confirm if the establishments closed are legitimate, with business permit, and if the affected workers are also legitimate workers,” he said.

Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. told Daily Guardian that the provincial government was ready to help local government units (LGUs) in the province through financial assistance, which he said was “easier than food packs” which entailed logistics.

Defensor added that the provincial government may intervene to ask the DSWD-6 for additional FFPs to be given to LGUs.

“We give them financial assistance, but not food packs, because [financial assistance] is easier when it comes to logistics handling. But if the food packs from the [DSWD-6] is insufficient, we will look into it, because [LGUs] are the ones directly requesting that, so [DSWD-6] directly gives that to them directly as well,” said the governor.

In Iloilo City, several barangay captains also said that the food packs they received were not enough for their constituents. Some of them even plan to use the raffle system as an equitable way of distributing the aid.