By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — A total of P56.8 million worth of relief goods were given to super typhoon “Yolanda” victims in Aklan during the first half of the year.
Of the 1,184,406 food packs for Western Visayas, 173,321 went to Aklan, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office said.
Each relief pack contained 20 packs of noodles, 10 cans of corned beef, 10 cans of sardines and 20 sachets of 3-in-1 coffee.
“Yolanda” hit the province on Nov. 8 last year, destroying P2.811 billion worth of agricultural crops, infrastructure and government facilities.
Iloilo received 402,289 food packs amounting to P294.4 million; Guimaras, 85 packs, P22,185; Capiz, 417,916 packs, P380.6 million; Antique, 145,498 packs, P118.9 million; and Negros Occidental, 45,297 packs, P11.8 million.
Also, the DSWD announced that it will soon release funding for the Cash for Building Livelihood Assets.
The funding to be sourced from donations worth P94 million will benefit 23,396 recipients in the region.
Under the program, some 3,400 Aklanons will be given cash in exchange for community work at P287 per day for 15 days per person.
The DSWD will also release P6.4 million worth of Sustainable Livelihood Program assistance for 909 recipients from Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique.
Last month, the Asean Plus 3 Emergency Rice Reserve (Apterr) turned over to the National Food Authority (NFA) rice from the government of Malaysia for distribution of 11,425 bags to Aklan beneficiaries.
The DSWD and the local Social Welfare and Development Offices facilitated the distribution of NFA rice./PN
