THE Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to provide relief assistance into municipalities ravaged by Typhoon Yolanda as the number of distributed food packs increase to 273,194.

The 273,194 family packs amounted to P71,501,845. The figure covers from day one of the disaster relief operation until 6 a.m. of Wednesday.

So far, the agency has released 113,926 food packs in the province of Iloilo; Capiz 76,680; Negros Occidental 30,018; Aklan 25,886; Antique 26,599 and Guimaras for 85 family packs. Boxes of used clothing were also distributed in Iloilo.

Presently, there are  58,190 food packs available at the DSWD regional office ready for distribution.

Aside from family packs, the agency also distributed 75 sacks of rice in the province of Capiz and 34 sacks of rice in Guimaras.

With the substantial food packs released to the 139 typhoon-stricken municipalities in Western  Visayas, the agency is expecting  that  the distribution of family packs  have already reached the mountainous and island-barangays  in the typhoon ravaged towns particularly in the northern part of Iloilo.

The function to identify disaster survivors and where to distribute the food packs are with the local government unit. It is also the primary responsibility of LGUs to provide provisions to the typhoon affected families.

DSWD only augments the needs of the LGUs. The number of family packs provided by the social welfare office to the affected LGUs is based on the request of each LGU.

Meanwhile, seven municipalities heeded to the call of the agency to pick up the allocated family packs for them.  These are the towns of Janiuay, Passi, Patnongon, Ivisan, Valderrama and Bugasong. (DSWD6/Maricar M. Calubiran)