Butuan City- A total cost of P25.23 million relief goods had already been sent to Leyte by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga as of November 21, 2013.

The following is the breakdown of the assistance extended:  72,808 family packs (P23,203,262.66), 3,000 cases of 500ML bottled water (P883,590.00), and 1,300 boxes of biscuits (P1,106,287.00).

The relief goods were transported using rented winged vans from the Relief Operation Center (ROC) in Surigao City to Ormoc. Repacking operations through the seven hundred fifteen (715) volunteers started since November 10, 2013, right after typhoon ‘Yolanda’ happened, and twelve (12) FO personnel were deployed to administer.

The ROC was decided to be established in Surigao City, instead in Butuan, because it is the place in Caraga nearest Leyte. The Office also considered the speedy transportation of goods with the immediate need of the ‘Yolanda’ victims in Region VIII.

All transported goods were duly and ably escorted by a DSWD FO staff and ten (10) personnel were mobilized for the said purpose.

The Ormoc Relief Hub is assigned to DSWD Caraga and is carefully supervised by Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Mita G.Lim. Their team reported early this morning that 52,369 relief packs were already distributed to eighteen (18) municipalities in Leyte.

Other assistance was also provided by the Office to Region VIII through sending personnel to Tacloban and Ormoc. Twenty-one (21) had been sent to assist in the relief operations. As to date, six (6) are still in Tacloban and eleven (11) are still in Ormoc.

Three (3) vehicles of the Office were also sent to Leyte to be used in the operations. One (1) of which is stationed in Tacloban to service Secretary Corazon “Dinky”Soliman of DSWD.

As of this time, the repacking operations are momentarily stopped since the Office had already reached the target relief goods to be packed and distributed. However, if at any time the Central Office shall request a resume of repacking  relief goods , the DSWD Caraga can assure that there is an organized and enough number of volunteers who are ready to be mobilized.

The Office has also announced that donations in any kind are still welcomed and interested parties may forward donations to Local Social Welfare Development Offices (LSWDOs) and other private institutions that have donations raising drive. ###(Eunice G. Montaos/Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Caraga)