Aid pours in to Lawin-affected areas

MANILA, Philippines - Assistance from international and local agencies has continued to pour in for victims of Typhoon Lawin.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said yesterday 745 metric tons of relief items would be sent to typhoon-hit areas.

The assistance includes 75,000 family food packs, blankets, generators, solar lamps, and drinking water.

USAID committed $2 million to the Philippine government from 2013 to this year to improve disaster response.

USAID and the World Food Program said they would support the government, particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), to bolster disaster readiness and enhance access to vital relief materials.  

 Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur were placed under a state of calamity due to the damage from Lawin.

The Cagayan information office said tons of relief goods as well as medical teams and rescuers have arrived in the province.

Damage to agriculture and infrastructure due to the typhoon in Cagayan was estimated at P8 billion. 

DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said the department also provided up to P30,000 in emergency shelter assistance to families whose houses were either destroyed or damaged by the typhoon. 

The Department of Labor and Employment also provided assistance to families of overseas Filipino workers affected by the typhoon. 

Private organizations and institutions, local governments and private individuals were among those  who responded to calls to assist typhoon victims. –