DAVAO CITY, (PNA) –- The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) recently handed over a total of 230 metric tons rice donation to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD 11) and National Food Authority (NFA) officials here for Typhoon Pablo victims through the Food For Work scheme.
The turnover ceremony was led by NFA Assistant Administrator Jose D. Cordero and DSWD regional director Priscilla N. Razon.
“I thank the Japanese for helping the Philippines in its time of need,” Cordero said.
With APTERR donation, Razon said 23,000 family-beneficiaries in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental will get 10 kilos of rice each as they repair their damaged houses.
To date, DSWD has released P139,000,000 to 13,900 families whose houses were partially damaged.
Razon said total cost of assistance provided by DSWD to families affected by Typhoon Pablo has reached P1,896,942,178.09 to cover food and non-food goods, burial, shelter repair, bunkhouses, permanent shelter, educational, livelihood skills training, cash for work and cash for training.
In her message, Razon conveyed her gratefulness and appreciation for the support of APTERR.
“Ten kilos of rice can help a lot of families to reconstruct and rebuild their lives. We thank APTERR for taking the lead in donating this rice through NFA. The families would be very happy to partake of this rice,” she said.