At least 16,607 family food packs (FFPs) have been distributed to households in Eastern Visayas badly affected by Typhoon Jolina, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Tuesday.

Of the 16,607 FFPs, 8,711 were delivered in Eastern Samar province, 7,234 in Samar, and 662 in Leyte.

DSWD Eastern Visayas regional information officer Abelardo Bibat said they are eyeing to complete the distribution of food packs to 19,507 families in the region before the end of October.

“The allocation of food packs is based on the result of rapid assessment and request of local governments for FFPs augmentation in badly-hit areas,” Bibat said in a phone interview.

Recipient towns are in Hernani, Quinapondan, Maydolong, Salcedo, and General Macarthur in Eastern Samar; Calbiga, Tagapul-an, and San Sebastian in Samar; and Burauen in Leyte.

Each food pack consists of rice, canned goods, and coffee, packed in a small box for one family.

The FFPs have been prepositioned in warehouses in Catarman, Northern Samar; Allen, Northern Samar, Can-avid, Eastern Samar; Catbalogan City, Samar; Naval, Biliran; and Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

The bulk of the food packs is stored at the DSWD Regional Resource Operations Center warehouse in Palo, Leyte.

“Jolina” left a trail of destruction as it crossed Samar Island on Sept. 6 and 7.

The DSWD said in its official report that the storm has killed five persons, injured 1, and rendered 18 others missing.

There were 273 damaged houses and 11,496 partially damaged in 36 towns in Eastern Visayas when the typhoon crossed the region.

The storm made five landfalls in Samar with the first in Hernani, Eastern Samar on the night of Sept. 6.

It also made landfalls in the towns of Daram, Santo Niño, Almagro, and Tagapul-an, Samar. (PNA)