Butuan City- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Caraga will distribute family food packs within next week to the families who are affected by the Dry Spell brought about by the El Niño phenomenon in the region.

Four (4) family food packs, each contains six (6) kilos of rice, eight (8) canned goods, 8 noodles, and 8 coffee, will be given to every family.

The Field Office tapped the different Social Action Centers in Caraga for the distribution of the said goods.

Per data provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Local Government Units’ (LGUs’) Agriculturists, a total of 3,795 farmers are affected.

These families are from the following cities and municipalities: Gigaquit, Taganaan, Carmen, Lanuza, Cantilan, Madrid, Hinatuan, Buenavista, Kitcharao, Las Nieves, Jabonga, Santiago, Cabadbaran City, Carmen, and Butuan City.

Regional Director Minda B. Brigoli announced that the Disaster Response Unit of the Field Office is already activated to closely monitor the situation, coordinate with the LGUs, and assess the needs of the families affected.

“We are also diligently working with our field staff composing Provincial/Municipal/City Action Teams (P/M/CATs) of the mentioned areas to provide relevant information and monitor/report situation on the ground in relation to the crisis,” Brigoli said.

“Other than the family food packs, the Department in partnership with the DA will also provide Cash for Work assistance,” she added.

“Along with the rest of the Government, DSWD recognizes the urgency of responding to the situation of hunger affecting the poor in many parts of the country. We assure the public that we are committed to work even harder, within our mandate, to ensure that food reaches those who needed them the most.” Brigoli concluded. ####(Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)