LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Some 30,000 households in the capital town’s 16 barangays will be given food assistance from the municipal government to help them to cope with the effects of the implementation of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda said that the municipal government purchased some 3,000 cavans of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) although the delivery will be on a staggered basis and canned goods and noodles will comprise the food packs that will be distributed to all the inventoried households.
However, he disclosed that the more or less 19,000 households identified by the social welfare department as beneficiaries of the government’s social amelioration program (SAP) will not be included as recipients of the food packs to be distributed by the municipality as they received their financial assistance recently.
He explained that bulk of the P23 million received by the municipal government as advance Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11469 or the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act of 2020 will be used to purchase the food packs for distribution to the households while part of the fund had been segregated for the procurement of seeds and seedlings for the farmers and cutflower growers as the town’s aid to them.
Earlier, the municipal government distributed relief assistance to the members of the vulnerable and marginalized sectors of the municipality in seven waves since the start of the Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine but on the eighth wave, all the households, except the SAP beneficiaries, will be receiving the food packs from the municipality.
Initially, Salda reported that NFA delivered some 1,000 sacks of rice which is now being readied for distribution to the first batch of households who will be receiving the food packs while awaiting the delivery of subsequent supplies that will complete the content of the food packs to be given out to the residents in the 16 barangays.
Aside from 5 kilos rice, the food pack will include several cans of sardines and packs of noodles with each food pack costing more or less P450.
Mayor Salda stated the number of households beneficiaries of the food packs is based on the submitted list from the barangay officials of the 16 barangays who ascertained the beneficiaries of the SAP among other assistance that will be extended to the residents during the period of the enhanced community quarantine.
He called on the residents that there may be delays in the distribution of the food packs as the municipal government want to make sure the food assistance will be given through the barangay officials and other volunteers who committed to support the municipality in the distribution of relief assistance.
By HENT