LGUs struggling to deliver food aid to ‘Kristine' victims

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Thursday, October 24 that several local government units (LGUs) are facing challenges in distributing food aid to families impacted by severe tropical storm Kristine (international name: Trami).

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said that the LGUs, particularly in some areas in the Bicol Region, experience difficulties transporting relief aid due to floods.

“They have a lot of requests and we're waiting for them to pick these up,” Gatchalian said in Filipino in a GMA News "Unang Balita" interview.

Some LGUs, like Camarines Sur, first prioritized the rescue of their affected residents.

“They're gradually distributing the relief aid, but they can't do it all at once... their focus is on rescue operations first,” Gatchalian said. 

The Social Welfare and Development chief also pointed out that LGUs have retrieved only 50,000 family food packs out of the 170,000 packs stored in various warehouses in the Bicol Region.

“We continue to coordinate with the LGUs to collect the goods. [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's] instruction to me yesterday was to ensure that we don't run out. So while we are distributing aid to the LGUs now, we already have more goods on the way to Bicol,” he said.

As of 11 a.m., the state weather bureau PAGASA raised tropical cyclone wind signal no. 3 in the Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defence also estimated ten deaths caused by the inclement weather.