The Office of the Vice President (OVP) did not waste time in going back to work after the holidays as its Disaster Operations Center (DOC) distributed relief goods to victims of the Davao del Norte flooding earlier this month.
In a statement, the OVP said it delivered 203 food packs and 117 relief boxes to evacuees in New Corella town.
The DOC also distributed 28 food packs in Kapalong town, 36 food packs in Sto. Tomas, and 190 food packs for the remaining affected households in Tagum City.
The team likewise distributed rice and food boxes in Barangays Mesaoy and New Cortez in New Corella town where there are still displaced residents.
“The relief mission was carried out through the OVP Satellite Office in Davao City and in coordination with the province’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council,” the OVP said.
The trough of the low pressure area, which caused the flooding on Jan. 3, displaced some residents in Tagum City and in the towns of Asuncion, Sto. Tomas, Kapalong, New Corella, and Carmen.
Meanwhile, the OVP also reported about joining the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the distribution of Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) to thousands of public transport drivers in Davao City on Dec. 27 to 29.
AICS is a program of the DSWD which gives financial assistance to the marginalized or disadvantaged.
Some 5,000 beneficiaries received P2,000 each during the distribution done at the Rizal Elementary School in Davao City, where Vice President Sara Duterte was local chief executive before becoming the country’s second highest official.
The OVP also coordinated with the Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) to distribute 10-kilogram rice packs to over 5,000 jeepney and taxi drivers on Dec. 29.
The OVP has earlier partnered with DSWD “for the expansion of social services for individuals in crisis situations.”