The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has extended assistance to victims of Typhoon Ursula in Antique, which is under a state of calamity.

OCD Information Officer Cindy B. Ferrer, in an interview after the turnover of 300 sacks of rice to the provincial government here Thursday, said the assistance was meant for families who were affected by the typhoon last Christmas Day.

“The sacks of rice that had been purchased by the OCD from the National Food Authority (NFA), Antique provincial office could be withdrawn by the Antique provincial government from the NFA warehouse any time from now,” Ferrer said.

She said the rice will be distributed by the provincial government, with the assistance of the provincial social welfare and development office, to families who were displaced, particularly those in the towns of Libertad, Pandan, Caluya, and Sebaste.

Aside from rice, the OCD also provided an initial 300 shelter repair kits so that families whose houses were damaged would have tools to use in repairing their homes.

“The repair kit is composed of a piece of pick mattock, shovel, hand saw, hammer, crowbar, sledgehammer, snip, rope, bolo, and other tools,” Ferrer said.

“Ursula” destroyed 1,709 houses in Antique and damaged 11,799 houses in Libertad, Pandan, Caluya, and Sebaste. It affected 14,118 families. (PNA)