State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR’s) said it launched a massive relief drive for areas affected by Typhoon Kristine, sending out an initial 5,000 relief packs on Thursday from a total of 53,000 packs it prepared.
The relief packs will be dispatched to hard-hit communities in the Bicol Region, Northern Luzon and CALABARZON, said PAGCOR chairman and chief executive Alejandro Tengco.
“Since Oct. 24, our volunteer teams have been working tirelessly and preparing thousands of relief goods for distribution to flooded communities,” he said.
“Many of the major roads to these areas were not passable at the height of Kristine’s onslaught so we had to wait a bit for the floods to subside, but were able to ship out the first batch of relief items even while the storm was still lashing out parts of the country,” he said.
Lipa City in Batangas was the first to receive relief aid from the state gaming agency on the night of Oct. 24, as roads there were already passable. The city government received 2,000 food and non-food packs for distribution to affected locals.
PAGCOR also donated on Friday 3,000 relief packs to former Vice President Leni Robredo’s Angat Buhay Foundation. The food and non-food items will be distributed in Naga City which suffered devastating flash floods after the Bicol River overflowed.
“This is just the start of our massive relief drive for Kristine-hit areas,” Tengco said. “Coordination with various local government units and other government agencies like the Office of the Civil Defense is ongoing to ensure the safe and prompt delivery of PAGCOR’s aid to displaced communities.”
The Bicol region, which suffered the brunt of the recent tropical storm, will receive over 24,000 food and non-food relief packs from PAGCOR.
The relief goods will be distributed to various local government units in Albay, Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte.
Other intended recipients of PAGCOR’s relief operation are the provinces of Apayao, La Union, Quezon, Rizal and Ilocos Sur.
