The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Cagayan Valley (DSWD-Field Office 2) said on Monday, Aug. 28 that it has allocated at least 70,000 family food packs (FFPs) for distribution to local governments (LGUs) affected by super typhoon Goring (international name: Saola).

According to the DSWD, 41,480 relief items have been distributed to the various LGUs in the region even before the typhoon entered the country’s area of responsibility last week.

“Currently we have 2,611 families affected by typhoon Goring, which is equivalent to 8,547 individuals covering the four major provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino,” DSWD-Field Office 2 Regional Director Lucia Alan said.

“Of the 2,611 Goring-affected families, 716 sought temporary shelter in evacuation centers,” she added.

As of Monday, Alan said that the DSWD-Field Office 2 has already distributed food packs to the 2,611 families affected by Goring.

“We have 30,074 FFPs ready to be deployed from our five warehouses on top of the 41,480 food packs that have been prepositioned to LGUs,” she pointed out.

She said the FFPs have been distributed to the affected families in the coastal communities of Aparri, Gonzaga, and Palanan, all in the severely affected Cagayan province.

“We are hauling FFPs from our warehouse for replenishment to LGUs in Northern Cagayan as we continue coordinating with the Local Disaster Response Management Councils, through our Social Welfare and Development Team,” Alan said.

As of Monday, Cagayan province was still experiencing heavy rains due to typhoon Goring.

“We have heard local reports of barangays being flooded and we are vigilant and coordinating the sending of FFPs to those families affected in those areas. We still have enough non-food items at this time,” Alan said.