Government aid and support continue to pour in disaster-affected areas in Pangasinan and La Union.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already released 11,820 food and non-food items in La Union and 57,853 food and non-food items in Pangasinan to augment the relief efforts of the local government units as of 2 p.m. Sunday, with relief operations still ongoing.

The DSWD’s mobile kitchen is also serving hot meals to evacuees in La Union.

“Serving hot meals to displaced individuals remained a challenge since evacuation centers are usually far and have no kitchen for cooking. The mobile kitchen is literally where meals are prepared and cooked,” DSWD 1 (Ilocos Region) director Ma. Angela Gopalan said in a statement.

Based on data from the DSWD’s latest monitoring, 23,245 families, or 65,391 individuals, have been affected in La Union, and 324,426 families, or 1.16 million individuals, in Pangasinan.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian has assured enough supply of family food packs as augmentation to the local government units’ (LGUs) relief operations in disaster-affected areas.

In an interview on Sunday during his visit to the evacuation center in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan City, Gatchalian said repacking family food packs is ongoing daily.

“Because at this point, the President’s order is to ensure that all affected people, especially those in the evacuation centers, are not hungry,” he added.

Gatchalian has been visiting disaster-affected areas at the order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Under the order of our President, the DSWD is ready to meet the needs of our evacuees, we will consult with your local government units to make sure that there is a continuous supply of food and other kits that are needed inside the evacuation center,” he said.

Gatchalian said they are in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH) for the medical consultation and medicine provisions for the affected residents as well as the mental health and psychosocial support.

The DOH Ilocos Center for Health Development stated that they have implemented the distribution of micronutrient supplements, round-the-clock medical consultation, and water and sanitation health.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) monitors the ongoing price freeze enforced for 60 days (unless lifted earlier by the President) on all basic necessities, in response to the local government units’ declaration of a state of calamity.

DTI stated that the covered items include canned goods, instant noodles, bottled water, bread, milk, coffee, soap, candles, and salt.

Personnel of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Army, and Bureau of Fire Protection augmented the rescue and evacuation efforts, and the ongoing clearing operations of the LGUs.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1, particularly the Equipment Management Division, has deployed vital equipment to support the clearing and relief operations. (PNA)