The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said the agency has brought a total of 10,000 family food packs in Kalinga to augment the food supply of the province.

Leo Quintilla, regional director of the DSWD-CAR, on Wednesday said last week, 5,000 food packs were brought to the province and an additional 5,000 were again brought on February 15.

He said this is part of the 17,500 food packs requested by the provincial government from the agency to augment the supply which will be distributed to residents whose areas are declared under granular lockdown.

Each food pack contains five kilos of rice, canned goods, instant coffee, instant noodles. There were also hygiene kits brought to the province for distribution.

Quintilla said local government units (LGUs) ask for augmentation from the DSWD to assure that their people in areas placed under granular lockdown will not go out from their homes.

This is to assure that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be contained, he said.

“Our role is to augment the supply of the local government units. The first responders are the LGUs,” he said.

The National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 through the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA), Department of Health (DOH), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) began the mass testing for Covid-19 in the province targeting about 8,000 people.

It was in response to the spike in cases in the province that started as early as the first week of January.

Kalinga was placed under higher quarantine classifications with capital town Tabuk City placed under enhanced community quarantine as early as January 24.

The Cordillera region is under general community quarantine until Feb. 28. (PNA)