More volunteers needed for repacking donations

Five days since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Cebu and Bohol, more volunteers are flocking to drop-off centers in Cebu City to share and give what they can to the relief operations intended for the victims in Bohol province.

And not a moment too soon as the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD–7) appealed for more volunteers to help repack 50,000 family food packs daily for earthquake victims in Bohol.

Based on their initial reports, the agency said there are 87,620 affected families in Bohol.

In Cebu City, there were 50 student volunteers detailed at the Fuente Osmeña Rotunda.

The student volunteers, who came from schools like the University of San Carlos (USC) and the University of the Visayas, greet and thank those who drop off their contributions to the ABS-CBN Sagip-Kapamilya centers.

They hold cards to passersby and motorists which read, “Show your love and donations to Bohol here.”

“Coming here to volunteer is already big help,” said Flora May Avenido, a senior Political Science student at UV.

Needy

Avenido, also the school’s Supreme Student Council (SSC) president, said random passersby would also hand in cash amounting to as much as P10,000.

“We didn’t expect people like these still exist in this world,” she said.

“We want to help the needy. Our heart and help go out to the people,” said Linda Enriquez, Executive Vice President of United Waray-Waray in Cebu Inc., one of the volunteer groups at the Fuente drop-off center.

Enriquez said they have already sent out two cars filled with sacks of rice, a wagon and five buses filled with assorted goods as of yesterday morning.

“We will see to it that every family [in Bohol] is given what they need,” Enriquez said.

Some volunteers at Fuente are members of the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Numbering about 100, JCI transported 3,000 bags containing cans of sardines, rice, bottles of water, packs of noodles, to Bohol since Thursday.

Calamity fund

JCI Regional Vice President Kenneth Migriño said they also sent P80,000 in cash within three days.

JCI relief operations will come to a halt tomorrow but Migriño said he is confident that help will continue to come.

“The rest of the week, I am certain many other organizations will extend help,” Migriño said.

DSWD-7 Asst. Regional Director Nemia Antipala said they will transfer to their center in Labangon today since it is bigger.

The DSWD-7 office was filled with 183 volunteers from the University of Cebu (Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue), Pro-Life and Philippine Navy.

The agency allocated a P10 million budget calamity fund for the family food packs to be sent to Bohol.

As of 3:30 PM yesterday, Antipala said they only have P24,000 remaining from the P10 million calamity fund and they need another budget for the family food packs.

The family food pack is good for five days starting last Wednesday and ends tomorrow.

Food packs

The food pack contained 3 kilos of rice, noodles, sardines and mineral water for a family of five good for one day.

For the next five days, the DSWD-7 will provide nonfood items for the affected families.

The family food packs were sent through commercial vessels and vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy.

As the family packs arrived in Bohol, the DSWD-7 personnel of Tubigon and Tagbilaran distributed the family food packs to the families.

The DSWD-7 also provided tents and plastic rolls to the families in Bohol who only want to stay outside their houses.