Iloilo running low on food

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—The supply of noodles and sardines in Iloilo is running low as government agencies and local government units struggle to feed hundreds of thousands of typhoon victims, a week after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck the Visayas.

Social welfare regional director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said they needed at least 3.5 million cans of sardines and 1.5 million packs of noodles every two days to feed 495,464 families or more than two million persons.

Macapobre said she had already asked suppliers from Zamboanga and other provinces to send sardines.

Neneth Pador, provincial social welfare officer said noodles had ran out of stock in Iloilo City due to the massive relief campaign for victims mostly in northern Iloilo.

Macapobre said she was assured by suppliers that they would send sardines but the supplies should continue because the relief assistance was expected to last for at least another week or two.

Food packs packaged and sent by the DSWD and provincial government contain two kilos of rice, seven cans of sardines and five packs of noodles for a family of five and good for two days.

Worst hit

Access and delivery of relief goods to typhoon victims remained difficult in many island-barangays in Panay especially in northern Iloilo and Antique.

In Antique, several island barangays which were among the worst hit areas remained cut off from communication and needed food and other relief assistance, according to Broderick Train, executive officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office-Antique.

Among the badly hit areas were Batbatan and Maniguin Islands in Culasi and Sibay Island in Caluya where almost all houses and boats were destroyed.

Government agencies and local government units have accelerated the delivery of relief goods by setting additional relief-packaging centers nearer the most badly hit areas, according to Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Trenas who has been appointed by Malacañang as point person for relief operations in Panay.

He said the forward repacking and distribution centers have been set up in San Jose in Antique, Roxas City in Capiz and Kalibo in Aklan, aside from the one in Iloilo City.

Deliveries of food packs to island-barangays in northern Iloilo were being done military helicopters as most motorboats  have been destroyed or badly damaged.

Iloilo provincial administrator Raul Banias said food and other relief goods in the province would be needed for at least from two to three weeks.

Fatalities

The number of fatalities rose to 265 on Friday. This includes 190 in Iloilo, 54 in Capiz, 11 in Aklan and 10 in Antique.

Trenas said full restoration of electricity in Aklan, Antique, Capiz and parts of Iloilo could take at least three weeks.

Senate President Franklin Drilon who attended a briefing of government agencies on the relief operations said Congress would appropriate P15 billion in rehabilitation funds especially for livelihood assistance to victims of supertyphoon Yolanda and the massive earthquake that devastated Bohol and Cebu.

In Leyte, prices of gasoline have soared to unprecedented levels due to the tight supply.

Gas at P200 a liter

A liter of gasoline is now worth P200, according to Ana Alante, a 20-year-old motorcycle owner of La Paz, Leyte.

Ana went to Baybay City which is 50 kilometers away to buy fuel for her motorcycle which she uses to buy food and necessities in the city.

She said that retailers had taken advantage of the aftermath of the typhoon, particularly in the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban where a liter of gas is now being sold at P200.

“We could understand the high rates, but we also appeal to these retailers that we are all victims here,” according to PO3 Noel Aranas, a team leader of policemen guarding a refilling station in the city.

Aranas said that buyers from as far as Tacloban and Ormoc endure the long trip just to buy gasoline in Baybay City where it is being sold at P60 per liter.

He added that policemen have been deployed to guard refilling stations. With a report from Nancy C. Carvajal

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