Drought-affected communities receive food packs for Ramadan

By Teng L. Datu,
Bureau Chief-Cotabato City

PAGALUNGAN, Maguindanao — Ramadan officially begun on Monday and the local government of Pagalungan along with Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) Philippines distributed food packs to vulnerable families in five communities affected by the recent drought.

Maguindanao was one of the first provinces that declared a state of calamity in the first quarter of the year after being severely affected by El Niño. In March 2016, the Department of Agriculture in the Armm reported that P140 million worth of crops were destroyed.

To provide short-term relief for drought-affected families in these areas, IRW Philippines distributed 1,960 food packs that will benefit almost 10,000 individuals from barangays Kudal, Bago-enged, Galakit, Inug-ug and Damalasak in Pagalungan. The food pack includes 15 kilos of rice, two liters of vegetable oil, three cans of corned beef, three cans of sardines, half kilo of monggo beans and half kilo of salt.

The contents of the food packs were prepared to meet the nutritional requirements of a family for at least five days. These were provided to families who could not afford to buy food for Suhoor and Iftar.

Zaman Kawasa and his family are among the most vulnerable in Barangay Inug-ug. He raises his six grandchildren all by himself by selling nipa. The children, aged between six and 10, were left to his care after their parents passed away a few years ago. “It’s been a difficult life. This Ramadan I can only really pray for a longer life so that I can continue supporting my [grand] children,” he said. Zaman has, so far, also depended on the kindness of his neighbors for food especially on days when his family has nothing to eat.

Barangay Chair of Kudal Zinraida Usop said that the food distribution came in an appropriate time especially for families still recovering from the drought. “We are glad that Islamic Relief found their way to our communities despite us being far away, “ she said. Some of the sitios (sub-village) in Kudal and Bago-enged can only be reached by 20 to 45 minute boat rides.

The activity was in cooperation with the Municipality of Pagalungan along with its attached agencies including the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO).

The Ramadan Program is a seasonal project by IRW offices around the world. IRW Philippines first came to the country to respond to Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and has since established an office in Cebu city with pro-jects on shelter support, livelihood support, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Disaster Risk Reduction in Bantayan, Daanbantayan and Leyte. This is the first activity for IRW Philippines in Mindanao.