The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has distributed a total 17,589 family food packs and 86 six-liter bottled drinking water to Ilocos Region residents affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) as of Monday.

Of the total, 4,284 were distributed to Ilocos Norte residents, 1,301 to Ilocos Sur, 5,800 to La Union, and 6,204 in Pangasinan.

Some 262 non-food items, including hygiene kits, were also distributed.

A total of 93,750 family food packs and 17,066 other food and non-food items have been prepared for Ilocos Region residents affected by Kristine, according to the DSWD.

DSWD data show that the PHP104.2 million worth of prepositioned food and non-food items in the 19 regional and provincial satellite warehouses are ready for distribution to local government units (LGUs).

Each family food pack contains six kilos of rice, four cans of tuna, four cans of corned beef, two cans of sardines, five sachets of instant coffee, and five sachets of cereal.

DSWD Ilocos Region social workers have also visited evacuation centers and provided psychosocial first aid especially to the kids to help ease the stress of being displaced from their homes because of the calamity.

Lizzly Medina, a registered social worker and municipal link for DSWD Ilocos, in a statement, said many of the evacuees expressed sadness about their situation but are grateful for the various government aid.

“Nasayaat ti sitwasyon mi ditoy evacuation center; haan kami nga mabaybay-an, ket adda itited da nga makan, uray merienda gapo munisipyo. Dakel ti yamanek nga nakatungtong ko ni Ma’am Lizzly ta limmag-an ti riknak, ta napintas ti panang-asikaso na kadakami ditoy evacuation center. (Our situation at the evacuation center is quite good. We are well taken care of, meals are provided by the municipality, including snacks. I’m very grateful to Ma’am Lizzly for speaking with us. Her kindness has made our time here so much more comfortable),” said Mylene Moster, one of the evacuees from Bangar town, La Union.

Citing reports from LGUs, DSWD said the number of affected families in the region is now at about 100,846.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health-Ilocos Region has mobilized its emergency health units in all provincial offices to assess, monitor and provide medicines, first aid and hygiene kits to LGUs that need additional supplies. (PNA)