Australia, World Food Program help Bohol

MANILA, Philippines –  Relief goods keep on pouring in to help earthquake-devastated Bohol.

On Saturday, November 2, the Australian Aid (AusAID) and World Food Programme (WFP) joined the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in distributing relief goods to hardest hit towns.

Packs that contained 20 kilos of rice, 20 assorted canned goods, 10 sachets of chocolate drink, and 10 sachets of coffee were distributed, giving affected families of 5 members enough supply for 15 days.

“This partnership with AusAID and WFP will help us provide more relief goods to the affected families until such time that they can address their own food needs,” DSWD Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said.

The Australian government earlier announced that it will provide about A$3.1 million (P124-M).

More than 59,000 food packs were distributed over the weekend  in the 17 worst-affected towns.

Australian Ambassador Bill Twedell, AusAID Minister-Counsellor Layton Pike, and WFP Country Director Praveen Agrawal arrived in Bohol on Saturday to lead the relief distribution activity in Sagbayan with Soliman and Bohol Governor Edgardo Chatto. They were joined by representatives from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to distribute tents and blue sheets. 

Gov Chatto briefs aus amb Twedel on the damaged bridge of loon & footbridge now constructed by DPWH @dinkysunflower pic.twitter.com/V5Xt21S9rY

— DSWD (@dswdserves) November 2, 2013

Time to rebuild Bohol

Bohol has been receiving an outpouring of support from various sectors. 

“We thank you for your generosity and compassion in this time of need. We also would like to thank you for your assurances of support as we rebuild Bohol to be the province we would all be truly proud of,” Chatto said in an earlier interview.

On October 25, the United Nations and various humanitarian groups launched a US$46.8 million (P2.01-billion) plan that seeks to help address the needs of the Bohol earthquake victims. (READ: UN, humanitarian groups help 344,000 homeless in Bohol)

MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm, also reported other initiatives and ways to help the people of Bohol:

• #ReliefPH: Help the Visayas earthquake victims
• #TabangBohol: Relief goods finally reach isolated town
• DSWD creates emergency hotlines for quake victims
• How MVP, companies are helping to rebuild Bohol

The province is now in the process of crafting a plan to reconstruct and rehabilitate Bohol even as it continues to provide basic relief assistance to affected towns. – Rappler.com