The Office of the Vice President (OVP) has began its disaster relief operations, providing food packs, hygiene kits, and free shuttle rides, for victims of Typhoon Crising and the enhanced southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.

Some 5,900 families in various affected areas across the country have been allocated assistance from the OVP’s Disaster Operations Center (OVP-DOC).

So far, the OVP-DOC has distributed around 2,900 relief boxes to residents in Western Visayas and Northern Luzon, while an additional 3,000 boxes are scheduled for delivery in Pangasinan on Wednesday, July 23, according to OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo.

Each relief box contains food packs, hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, slippers, expandable water jugs, and other essential supplies.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who is currently in The Hague to visit her father, assured that the OVP’s Disaster Operations Center (OVP-DOC) is on top of the situation despite her absence and that standard operating procedures are being followed to deliver much-needed aid especially in hard-to-reach areas.

“Naka-preposition lahat doon ang tulong sa satellite offices, and then yung satellite offices meron silang assigned din ng mga tao for disaster response (All the needed relief goods are prepositioned in our satellite offices, and then the satellite offices have assigned personnel for disaster response),” she explained.

“So meron silang standard operating procedures na ginawa namin para susundan nila yun (So, we crafted standard operating procedures for them to follow),” she said, adding that their personnel would only have to reach out to her if specific instructions were not in the SOP.

Castelo defended the OVP against criticisms of its disaster relief operations.

“It is only for augmentation. Kung baga dinadagdagan lang natin yung ginagawa ng iba't ibang ahensya dahil hindi naman po natin masabi na lahat ng kanilang tulong ay nakakapagbigay sa lahat (We’re just adding to what different agencies have been doing because they cannot do everything by themselves),” she said during a press conference at the OVP-DOC’s office in Banawe, Quezon City.

She also shared that there have been logistical challenges in delivering relief aid to far-flung areas because of the flood.

“So, iyong mga baha po hihintuan ng ating mga trucks kasi pag nasira mas lalong po silang hindi makakaandar…medyo critical (So, our trucks need to stop when it’s flooded because they will break down…it will be critical),” Castelo added.

Aside from distributing relief goods, the OVP also extended the operating hours of its “Libreng Sakay” buses—from Monday night to 12 a.m.

These are the kinds of instances that the OVP had to seek Duterte’s approval as it was not part of their SOP to extend the free shuttle program.

“Eh kahapon, sobrang dami nung humihingi ng tulong na mga stranded, nagpaalam sila sa akin kung pwede ilabas yung mga bus. And then sabi ko sa kanila, oo pwedeng ilabas yung mga bus dahil emergency na yan (Yesterday [Monday], a lot of stranded people are asking for help, they asked me if they can extend the service hours. Then, I told them, yes you can take the bus out because it’s an emergency),” Duterte explained.

The Vice President insisted that there was no need to seek permits for the extension of the shuttle’s service hours.

“Kung wala doon (in the SOP), nagtatanong sila at nagbibigay ng command or sagot sa kanila (If it’s not there [in the SOP], they will ask and I will give the command),” she furthered.