One of the newly acquired S-70i “Black Hawk” combat utility helicopters of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was deployed to transport some 500 boxes of “family food packs” to two towns in Cagayan over the weekend.
PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo, in a statement issued late Monday, said the S-70i conducted relief operations for the municipalities of Calayan and Aparri.
“This activity is in cooperation with the Office of the Civil Defense Region 2, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Office 2. A total of 500 boxes [4,250 kgs] of Family Food Packs were delivered to the communities affected by the onslaught of Supertyphoon Egay,” she added.
The Black Hawk was deployed for this mission through the Tactical Operations Group 2 of Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon, Castillo said.
As this developed, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its Tuesday bulletin said that the government has sent P153,900,517.13 worth of assistance to communities severely affected by the southwest monsoon and Egay.
Aid provided so far to Regions 1, 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Regions 5, 6, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region include family food packs, family and hygiene kits, tents, various medicines, to name a few.
In the same NDRRMC update, families affected by the southwest monsoon and Egay now totaled 668,974 families, which is equivalent to 2,452,738 persons residing in 4,164 barangays in 13 regions in the country.
Of this number, 13,718 families or 50,467 individuals are now being helped in 736 evacuation centers while another 63,086 families or 262,008 persons are being assisted outside the evacuation centers.
Image credits: Philippine Air Force
