The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Central Visayas has released a total of 301,843 food packs worth PHP136 million since the start of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

DSWD-7 has continued to provide family food packs (FFPs) as augmentation support for Covid-19 response operations to local government units as well as to other national government agencies, organizations, strandees, and displaced workers.

In a statement on Friday, DSWD-7 regional director Rebecca Geamala said the FFPs from the DSWD are contained in boxes with the agency’s logo and with expiry date markings.

She warned that these should not be sold, saying selling, buying, repackaging, and replacing of DSWD relief goods are prohibited by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

“The way how we give the FFP should be the way how it will be given to the people,” Geamala said

She added that there should be no other tags or stickers attached to these relief packs.

Geamala said FFPs are purposely given by DSWD to make sure that people, even from far-flung areas, will be served by the department through the request of the local government units (LGUS).

“The purpose of giving this to the local government units is to augment the need of the people that are affected by Covid-19,” said Geamala.

Meanwhile, the local chief executives through the local social welfare officers send a request to DSWD with their pull-out plan and distribution plan as well as the list of names of the beneficiaries.

LGUs are required to submit to the DSWD regional office the relief distribution sheet containing names and acknowledgment of receipt from the FFP beneficiaries.

Each FFP contains six kilos of rice, four canned tuna flakes, four canned corned beef, two canned sardines, five sachets of coffee, and five sachets of cereal drink, worth PHP500 per pack. (PNA)