Caraga – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Caraga is set to augment a total of 12,528 family food packs to the 3,132 farmers in Agusan del Sur who had been reported by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as greatly affected during the onslaught of the Dry Spell.

These farmers are from the following municipalities: Sibagat, Rosario, Trento, Veruela, Talacogon, Esperanza, San Francisco, Bunawan, and Prosperidad.

Each farmer will receive four (4) family food packs amounting to Php1,564.52 and containing rice, canned goods, and 3-in-1 coffee. A total amount of Php4,900,076.64 is allotted by DSWD on this.

Delivery of goods will start today to the respective local government units (LGUs) through the municipal social welfare and development office (MSWDOs) who will set schedule and spearhead the distribution of family food packs to the farmers of their respective towns.

DSWD field staff or the members of the municipal action team (MAT) assigned in the mentioned areas will assist and witness the distribution as well as monitor the welfare of the affected farmers.

In the last week of April, DSWD-Caraga through the Social Action Centers and Red Cross Philippines had distributed family food packs to the 3,795 Dry Spell-affected farmers from the three (3) provinces in Caraga namely Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Surigao del Norte.

“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,” said Regional Director Minda B. Brigoli.

“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,” she concluded. ###(Social Marketing Unit/DSWD Field Office Caraga)