Photo shows OIC Secretary Emmanuel A. Leyco (2nd from Left) receiving the symbolic sack of rice from His Excellency Sung Kim, United States Ambassador to the Philipines. Also in photo are from left: Office of the Civil Defense Assistant Secretary Kristoffer Purisima; World Food Programme Country Director Stephen Gluning; and USAID Deputy Mission Director Clay Epperson.

In a ceremonial handover yesterday in the Taguig warehouse of the World Food Programme (WFP) Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary (DSWD) OIC-Secretary Emmanuel A. Leyco symbolically received donated rice from the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the WFP.  The ceremony was led by US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim; also present were  Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, Spokesperson of Task Force Bangon Marawi; and Mr. Stephen Gluning, Country Director of the World Food Programe.

The rice donations  amounting to 50 kg per sack will be distributed among some 9,000 families in Marawi affected by the recent armed conflict as part of the Task Force Bangon Marawi relief and recovery operations. Each family will receive 50 kg of rice per month for four months. WFP will use the Listahanan and the Disaster Assistance Family Access card as basis for determining the families who will receive the assistance.

OIC Secretary Emmanuel A. Leyco expressed gratitude to the US government whose assistance are being coursed through the USAID and the WFP.

“On behalf of the people of the Marawi and the rest of the Filipino people, we thank the WFP and the USAID for their generosity and continued assistance to our efforts to rebuild lives in Marawi.  The rice assistance will complement the cash and food assistance now being provided by the Philippine Government, and this will greatly help Task Force Bangon Marawi.”

In his speech, PIC Leyco said that not only are disasters devastating, but they also deprive affected citizens of their many rights, including the fundamental right to adequate food recognized universally as early as 1948 under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  He said that the numbers, scope, and frequency of disasters in many countries continue to rise, and that this is a problem that many governments like that of the Philippines  have to contend with and prepare against.

“We have learned from the many experiences we have had from successive emergencies, and this has led to increased knowledge on various interventions. Still, there have been cases when disaster losses have often been under-reported. The continued rise in humanitarian needs is also a serious concern for all us in the fields of social welfare and humanitarian work. Incidents of armed conflict disrupt food production through physical destruction and plundering of crops and livestock, harvests and food reserves. Armed violence prevent and discourage farming, and the lines of transportation through which food exchanges are cut off. Even humanitarian relief becomes very difficult to access. Farm capital is destroyed, and thousands loss their means of income,” he said.

OIC Leyco said that the DSWD is also concerned about the food insecurity that threatens many communities visited by disasters and calamities.

“This is why we are grateful for all the assistance that we can get from our different partners, and we are glad to have the WFP and the US government among those we work with in our continuing efforts to deliver relief assistance as soon as there is a need for it in our communities . We welcome the significant contributions of our valuable partners to ensure that food is available for disaster victims, including the victims of man-made calamities such as war. We are also glad for the help we receive to ensure the prompt   delivery of relief resources to them,” he said.

“I have been to Marawi, and I have seen the scope of the devastation and the impact of the war on the people.  I would like to share with all of that the challenge for DSWD and other government agencies now is how to bring back the dignity, the livelihood, the self-worth of Filipinos in Marawi.”

The US government, through USAID, has been a key partner with the Philippine government in the recovery, stabilization, and rehabilitation of Marawi City and surrounding areas.  USAID continues to work closely with the Philippine government and development partners to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance and promote long-term stability in Marawi.