QUEZON City — BEFORE dawn Sunday, May 25, key government officials oversaw the loading of thousands of relief goods bound for flood-stricken communities in Maguindanao del Sur, marking the latest coordinated effort to bring immediate assistance to families affected by weeks of intense flooding triggered by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), in collaboration with the GMA Kapuso Foundation and supported by the Philippine Air Force, dispatched much-needed humanitarian aid via C-130 aircraft from Villamor Air Base at about 3 a.m.
PCSO General Manager Mel Robles and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno led the send-off ceremony, alongside OCD Assistant Secretaries Cesar Idio and Jekereen Joy Casipit. Their presence underscored the government’s urgency in ramping up relief operations as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The relief cargo included 2,500 units of “ChariTimba” from PCSO, each containing rice, instant noodles, canned goods, and bottled water.
These buckets of hope are part of the second wave of assistance from PCSO following the agency’s initial relief operations conducted earlier in Datu Piang.
Also on the C-130 flight were 7,876 kilos of food packs from GMA Kapuso Foundation, comprising rice, sardines, noodles, and canned goods—further boosting supplies to address the immediate needs of thousands displaced by the floods.
“We will continue this mission until we’re assured that every affected family is supported,” GM Robles said.
Earlier, the PCSO deployed 1,000 food packs through its Authorized Agent Corporation, 5A Royal Gaming OPC, in coordination with the PNP and the local government of Datu Piang.
The town, now under a state of calamity, has reported the displacement of nearly 8,000 families across 16 barangays.
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a total of 48,238 families from 135 barangays across Regions IX, X, XI, XII, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been displaced by the widespread flooding. The agency has extended P2.28 million worth of assistance and maintains standby resources valued at over P3.2 billion.
The flooding and landslides, particularly in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Maguindanao, have prompted swift action from national agencies, local governments, and partner organizations. As operations continue, more relief flights and ground missions are expected in the coming days.
The government urges the public to stay informed through official channels and to cooperate with ongoing relief and recovery efforts as the nation works to uplift communities devastated by this natural calamity.|
