DSWD: Food pack funds for lockdowns, calamities enough

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assured the public Thursday that resources are enough to provide food packs for areas under COVID-19 granular lockdown, and for calamities.

DSWD spokesperson Glenda Relova said the agency has distributed 45,775 family food packs to areas affected by the granular lockdown as of October 13.

"We have enough funds for this in the event that this policy of granular lockdown is rolled out nationwide and in areas affected by typhoons," she said during the Laging Handa briefing.

"We have P1-billion standby funds, with 138 million food packs in central and regional offices also on standby. There are around 11 local government units which asked us to assist them in providing food packs, including Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, San Juan, Caloocan City, Makati City, Mandaluyong City, Manila City and Parañaque City," she added.

The granular lockdown rule implemented in areas where there is community transmission of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 prohibits individuals from going out of their residence, including from buying essentials such as food and medicines.

However, the granular lockdown policy is still in its pilot implementation in Metro Manila, which is the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. —LBG, GMA News