The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 5 (Bicol) has distributed family food packs and non-food items to 136 families affected by the clash between government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Albay on March 28.

In an interview on Thursday, Carl James Cabarles, DSWD disaster risk reduction and management division information officer, said the agency provided relief assistance worth more than PHP666,000 to the affected families from March 30 to April 10.

“With direct supervision by DSWD-Bicol Regional Director Norman Laurio, we provided essential supplies, such as family food packs, hygiene and sleeping kits, and psychological support services to the affected families. The families were from Barangays Villa Paz and San Vicente in Jovellar, Albay,” Cabarles said.

He said out of 136 affected families, 99 families or 380 individuals are staying in two evacuation centers in each barangay.

“We are monitoring the situation on the ground with proper coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the local government unit (LGU) Jovellar, and other concerned agencies,” he said.

Cabarles added that DSWD-5 has PHP188.3 million worth of stockpiles and PHP5 million standby funds available for relief assistance.

Meanwhile, Maj. Frank Roldan, 9th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, reported that the situation in Jovellar, Albay is under control.

“Based on the monitoring and assessment conducted after the encounter, no one was harmed among the soldiers, police, and civilians in the affected areas,” he said.

The government troops encountered more or less 30 rebels belonging to the Komiteng Larangang Guerilla (KLG1) led by Ramon Adonis, alias “Ambo,” in Barangay San Vicente.

Roldan said the 50-minute combat operation stemmed from information from concerned civilian villagers.

“After the encounter, soldiers recovered war materials and rebels’ personal belongings,” he said. (PNA)