Ruby-displaced families DSWD gives 92T food packs in E. Samar

CEBU, Philippines – At least 92,000 food packs were distributed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 8 to typhoon Ruby-displaced families in 23 local government units in Eastern Samar.

These LGUs are: Borongan City and the towns of Arteche, Balangiga, Balangkayan, Can-avid, Dolores, General McArthur, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Jipapad, Lawaan, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong, Mercedes, Oras, Guinapondan, Salcedo, San Julian, San Policarpio, Sulat and Taft.

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said all the 95,417 families of the entire province, without any distinction, were given food packs on the first wave of relief distribution, although not all LGUs were served 100 percent as of yesterday.

The DSWD has stopped distributing relief goods in Leyte province and shifted its focus to three Samar provinces badly hit by Ruby. "Our priorities are the provinces in Samar Island since the impact there is more serious and there are still families in evacuation centers until today," said Yvonne Abonales, chief of DSWD-8 policy and planning division.

Each pack costs P350, consisting of five kilograms of rice, canned goods, instant noodles and coffee. "It has been declared by Secretary Corazon Soliman that we will provide food support to displaced families in Samar provinces for one month," Abonales said.

As of 9 a.m. yesterday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported the death toll of Ruby at nine-four in Borongan, two each in Dolores and Sulat, and one in Jipapad-as the three deaths in Oras, reported the other day was deleted from the list per attestation of the mayor.

Three missing persons were reported in Borongan also, while a total of 976 were listed as injured, 78 of them in Borongan, 73 in Oras, 68 in Sulat, 57 in Dolores, three in Maydolong and two in Balangkayan, according to yesterday's update of the Eastern Samar situation by the PDRRMC.

The DSWD further announced that an emergency shelter assistance will be given to families with damaged houses: P30,000 each for totally damaged house and P10,000 each for partially damaged house—for as long as these houses were not built within the danger zones or no-build zones, said PDRRMC.

The PDRRMC also reported that Globe Mobile is now operational within Borongan City as of yesterday, as promised, while Smart Mobile was still fixing its lines and systems.

The Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative, for its part, promised to revive electric power within two weeks, provided that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will fix the supply of electricity from the main line.

The Libas Bridge in San Julian town of East Samar was temporarily closed to traffic due to the damage brought by Ruby. Those who will be going to Borongan City via the Paranas-Taft Road were advised to take the San Juanico-Basey-Marabut-Borongan road. There was no timetable yet as to when this road will be passable.

Meanwhile in Catbalogan City of Samar province, water supply has been restored, while in Tacloban City, the flights of the Cebu Pacific, to and from Cebu and Tacloban, resumed yesterday, but its Manila-Tacloban-Manila flights will be back on December 15. — wires with reports from Rommel Rutor and Mel Caspe