Protesters get 12k food packs
A total of 12,000 food packs were released by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the protesting farmers and indigenous peoples after an agreement was met in a dialog between leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region (KMPSMR) and DSWD Officials Wednesday afternoon.
Bayan Southern Mindanao Region Secretary General Sheena Duazo in a phone interview with Sun.Star Davao yesterday said that the food packs are just a tranche of the 15,000 rice sacks that was agreed on to be given by the DSWD last June to the victims of drought.
“Within the dialogue the commitment of the DSWD to provide 15,000 sacks per province was tackled and a resolution was released stating that DSWD will release what is in store within their office to the farmers,” Duazo said in the vernacular.
She said that present during the dialogue with the farmers and IPs were the DSWD officials from the central office, assistant regional director, and disaster in-charge.
She added that each food pack will be distributed to the farmers and IPS who came all the way from Davao Occidental, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Paquibato, Baguio and Toril Districts in Davao City.
She said that it was also agreed in the dialogue that community leaders are set to meet with the officials of the DSWD this November 3 to discuss the remaining assistance promised.
The food packs were delivered at the Haran Compound around 5 p.m. yesterday.
In a separate statement from DSWD, it was confirmed that Assistant Regional Director for Administration Ma. Vilia L. Vigil talked to the rallyists and has assured the release of the 12,000 family food packs to the 6,000 KMP members affected by El Nino.
Each food pack contains six kilos rice, four cans meat loaf, four cans sardines and six sachets of instant coffee.
It also confirmed that another dialog is set on November 3 at DSWD Compound to tackle other concerns of the group.
It also stated that the rallyists peacefully dispersed and marched to Bankerohan gym to claim their food packs
The Information Officer of DSWD Region11 Carmela Duron however clarified that this is not the first time that the agency has given assistance to the drought inflicted areas within the region.
Duron said that they have already released P229,409,442 worth of money to give assistance to the 395,599 families in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2016 to the identified families who were affected by the El Nino phenomenon.
She added that the 12,000 food packs were given to the protesters as they claimed that they have not received any assistance from the agency.
Duron said that this matter will be tackled in the next dialogue slated on November 3.