Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman: Food with long expiration dates are most welcome. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Thursday appealed to the public not to donate perishable goods to the relief effort for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
But donations of food that have long expiration dates are most welcome, said Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman.
She asked for more clothes and personal hygiene kits for the victims, most of whom lost their houses and belongings.
Soliman said the relief distribution in Tacloban City has been turned over to the local government unit (LGU).
“The local government is now ready to take over the relief distribution in Tacloban. Based upon their request, we agreed that they do the succeeding distributions,” she said.
The goods from the DSWD will now be turned over to the mayor and the city social welfare and development officer (CSWDO) who will see to the distribution of the relief goods to each barangay (village).
She said the DSWD would be managing the evacuation centers but would continue to monitor the distribution of relief goods.
“We will not run out of relief goods,” Soliman said.
She said donations such as food for the volunteers are also welcome and may be brought directly to the National Resource Operations Center (NROC); Naia Chapel Road, Pasay City; Villamor Airbase, Pasay City; and Air21 Cargohaus, Cargohaus Building, Naia Complex, Barangay Vitalez, Parañaque.
The DSWD has also designated the following additional drop-off centers for donations: Sucat Warehouse JY & Sons Compound, Km 23, West Service Road, Cupang, Multinlupa City for bulk items; and South Conservatory, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, for small items.
Donors may also contact 09164286432 for their donations.
Soliman said the DSWD completed its third round of distribution in the areas affected by the typhoon, and has given out a total of 863,691 food and rice packs already.