A total of 1,000 family food packs were delivered to the island barangay (village) of Gabi in Carles as part of the disaster preparedness efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure immediate assistance during large-scale emergencies and calamities.

DSWD-6 Regional Director Joselito Estember, in a video message released on Thursday, said the effort is part of the instruction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary Rex Gatchalian to ensure that all isolated areas have relief goods in case of emergencies.

It is part of DSWD’s “last mile” strategy, which aims to deliver assistance to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and disaster-stricken communities by positioning relief goods closer to affected populations.

The relief goods were transported from the Visayas Disaster Response Center in Cebu to Barangay Gabi, Isla Gigantes, through the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406), in close coordination with the local government unit of Carles and the PCG–Carles Substation on Wednesday.

From the PCG boat, the goods were transferred to motor bancas for transport to Barangay Gabi. The DSWD, under its food-for-work program, distributed 300 family food packs to residents who assisted in the hauling of goods.

“This is the first time that we have family food packs in our island areas. We are thankful to the Philippine Coast Guard, which transported the food packs from Cebu,” he said.

Estember said the barangay is reached after almost a four-hour travel by motorboat from the mainland of Carles. (PNA)