Tacloban bizmen group to aid typhoon 'Nona' victims in N. Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 30 (PNA) –- The Federation of Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc., (TFCCCI) is set to distribute relief food items to victims of typhoon 'Nona' in several towns of northern Samar on the first week of January 2016.

Jack Uy, TFCCCI president said assistance to the affected towns would be faster because there was no looting of goods and local government unit local chief executives immediately raised funds so that they could release emergency relief assistance to victims.

However, he aired the concern of businessmen on the recent ambush of a convoy that carried the relief goods to the affected areas.

Two weeks ago, a convoy of Philippine Army trucks carrying relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development were ambushed in San Jorge, Northern Samar. A soldier was killed and while two others were wounded.

Uy said the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) will fund the 2,000 bags of relief goods that contain rice, canned goods, noodles, coffee and cookies.

The total cost is PHP400,000. The FFCCCII, the umbrella chamber, through its local chamber-partners have raised funds to support emergency food relief items to affected families in calamity areas.

The chamber initially released 3,000 food relief packs to Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong for the typhoon victims in his district. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ

DSWD says no holiday break in aid distribution for ‘Nona’ victims in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 28 (PNA) – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has delivered relief goods to typhoon-hit families in four Northern Samar towns over the holidays.

The badly affected towns received rice, canned goods and tarpaulin, the DSWD said in a press statement on Monday.

The DSWD provided 721 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 1,001 boxes of canned goods, and 75 rolls of tarpaulin to affected families in Bobon town.

In San Roque town, DSWD also gave out 300 sacks of 50 kilograms rice, and 50 boxes corned beef.

Likewise, in Allen town, some 100 sacks of 50 kilograms of rice, 960 boxes of corned beef, and 50 rolls of tarpaulin were delivered while Lope de Vega was given 412 sacks of 50 kg of rice and 859 of boxes of corned beef.

DSWD disaster teams in the region are also continuously repacking goods and doing relief operations over the holidays.

As of December 27, a total of 1,447 families or 6,508 persons are still inside 97 evacuation centers managed by local government units in the affected areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions. (PNA)
FFC/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

DSWD distributes 12,303 bags of rice to typhoon-hit Region 8 provinces

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 21 (PNA) -- Within a week after typhoon “Nona” pummeled Samar Island, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already distributed 12,303 bags of rice to victims.

Of the number, 8,481 bags are 25 kilograms and 3,822 bags are 50 kilograms. This is on top of the 1,275 family food packs delivered to Northern Samar province, said DSWD regional information officer Vina Aquino.

Other relief goods distributed in the past seven days are 650 boxes of sardines, 1,710 boxes of corned beef, 490 boxes of nutridel (for child feeding), five boxes of coffee, and five boxes of instant noodles.

“Local government units (LGUs) have been distributing relief goods as well. Our role is to augment the exhausted resources of LGUs,” Aquino told PNA.

In a statement, DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos said bringing relief goods to island towns of Biri, Capul, San Vicente, and San Antonio has been challenging.

“Relief distributions in these areas are being hampered due to unfavorable weather condition. The relief goods are being brought there through the military helicopter,” Ramos said.

Based on the DSWD’s Monday afternoon report, the typhoon has flattened 117,788 houses in three Samar provinces, with 39,006 classified as totally wrecked and 78,782 partially damaged.

Under the shelter assistance, the DSWD has shipped 3,600 galvanized iron sheets and 960 tarpaulins to Northern Samar.

These will be allocated and delivered to affected areas while waiting for other batches of shelter repair kits, according to Aquino.

Number of affected population in Eastern Visayas rose to 644,324 with 602,586 in Northern Samar; 23,554 in Eastern Samar; 16,569 in Samar; and 1,615 in Biliran.

Affected LGUs are encouraged to draft comprehensive rehabilitation plan, outlining the kind of assistance they need from the national government. (PNA)
FFC/Sarwell Q. Meniano

DSWD sends food packs for typhoon 'Nona' victims in Samar provinces

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 15 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is bringing more food packs to assist victims of typhoon “Nona” in Samar provinces.

In a report to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the DSWD said a winged van arrived in Northern Samar Tuesday morning, containing 200 bags of rice and canned goods.

Also on Tuesday, 400 bags of rice were delivered to Oras and Arteche town in Eastern Samar.

Up for delivery are 2,000 sacks of staple food to Catarman town, the provincial capital and 200 sacks for shipment to San Policarpio town in Eastern Samar.

The RDRRMC said the typhoon has displaced more than 5,000 families when it unleashed its wrath in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar and Samar on Monday.

Badly affected areas (based on the number of evacuees) are Biri, Catarman, Catubig, Laoang, Lapinig, Rosario, and San Jose in Northern Samar; Almagro, Panabacadao, Catbalogan City, and Sta. Margarita in Samar; San Policarpio, Oras and Arteche in Eastern Samar.

Local disaster risk reduction and management councils have yet to report the extent of typhoon Nona’s damage. (PNA)
JBP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO