OCD turns over 1,000 sacks of rice to typhoon-hit Dinagat Islands
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) recently turned over 1,000 sacks of rice to the provincial government of Dinagat Islands, benefitting the seven municipalities of the typhoon-hit province.
Under the OCD’s relief assistance program, the provincial government, headed by Governor Nilo P. Demerey Jr., together with the Dinagat Islands Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), distributed the sacks of rice on January 16 to all the municipal DRRM offices in the province and distribution to affected families were facilitated by their respective municipal social welfare and development offices.
In the town of Loreto, which was most devastated by Typhoon Tino in November 2025, the local government received 370 sacks of rice from OCD. Also, Senator Sherwin ‘Win’ T. Gatchalian donated an additional 200 sacks of rice, ensuring that all households in Loreto would receive equal amounts of rice.
Loreto Mayor Doandre Bill A. Ladaga extended gratitude to OCD and to Sen. Gatchalian and the provincial government for supporting the recovery efforts of the town and its residents.
Aside from the rice assistance, the LGU also received other forms of assistance from various benefactors, including mother and baby kits to indigent pregnant and nursing women, 477 rice food boxes, and roofing materials for the repair of two damaged schools on Gibusong Island.
Airyn, a resident of Loreto, expressed gratitude to the government saying, “Daghang salamat sa to gobyerno sa tabang para sa amoa diri sa Loreto. Dako na kayo ni nga tabang sa mga tao diri sa amo lugar nga nagapadayon ug paningkamot para makabarog ug balik ug magpadayon sa pagpanginabuhi. (I want to thank the government for helping the residents of Loreto. This is a big help already to the locals in my place who are trying their best to recover from the disaster and continue to live).”
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense, as the implementing arm of the National DRRM Council, has the primary mission of administering a comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program by providing measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks to hazards and manage the consequences of disasters. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands)