Slow food aid for Typhoon ‘Lawin’ victims

Emergency food aid has not reached many affected families in Cagayan and Isabela provinces nearly two weeks since the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Lawin” (international name: Haima).

Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo reported the complaints while saying they have already delivered food packs and other relief goods to local government units who were supposed to deliver them to their affected constituents.

“We continue to receive complaints that some of our countrymen have not received relief goods even if the DSWD has already delivered them to the local government units,” she said.

Most of the complaints came from Isabela and Cagayan, where the supertyphoon made landfall late Oct. 19.

Taguiwalo  said local government units had the primary duty to respond to disasters.

She said their social workers in Region II (Cagayan Valley) would coordinate with concerned local government units to check and act on the complaints.

Lawin is the most powerful typhoon to hit the country after Supertypoon “Yolanda.” —DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN