Poe provides food assistance to 1,600 typhoon-devastated families in Bulacan

Sen. Grace Poe on Tuesday (Oct. 18) partnered with FPJ Panday Bayanihan, a nongovernment organization headed by her son, Brian Poe Llamanzares, and provided food assistance to 1,600 families in three Bulacan towns affected by super typhoon "Karding" that hit the country last month.

Poe Llamanzares, the lady senator's chief of staff in the Senate, personally supervised and led the separate relief operations for the distribution of food packs to beneficiaries in San Miguel, San Ildefonso and San Rafael, all Bulacan towns.

Each food pack contained 5 kilos of rice, 5 packs of instant noodles, 4 pieces of canned goods, and 12 packs of instant coffee drinks.

In the town of San Miguel, Poe Llamanzares, chairman of FPJ Panday Bayanihan, led the distribution of food packs to 500 families in the relief operation held at the barangay hall of Barangay Ilog-Bulo.

He also distributed food packs to 300 families in Barangay Pinaod, San Ildefonso with Mayor Fernando Galvez Jr., while another 300 families received the same assistance in Barangay Alagao of the same town.

Panday Bayanihan's last stop was the municipal hall of San Rafael with Mayor Mark Cholo Violago who also helped distribute the food items to 100 families from Barangay Tambubong, 200 families from Barangay Pulong Bayabas and 200 families from Barangay Pansumaloc.

"Sa tingin namin, pagkain po muna kasi 'yan ang immediate na kailangan ngayon ng kawawa nating mga kababayan na hahatiran ng tulong ng aming tanggapan sa pakikipagtulungan po ng Panday Bayanihan," Poe said in a statement.

"Pero, s'yempre, kailangan din po nila ng iba pang bagay tulad ng damit, kumot at iba pang basic items. Confident po ako na and'yan ang ating mga kababayan na handang tumulong. In fact, alam ko na marami na ang nag-aabot ng ayuda. 'Yung bayanihan spirit po kasi ay likas sa mga Pilipino lalo na sa panahon ng kalamidad," she added.

Bulacan was one of the worst-hit provinces by "Karding" when it battered Central Luzon with torrential rain and strong winds that started late in the afternoon of Sept. 25.

Poe Llamanzares said he joined the relief operations with a heavy heart knowing that it was in Bulacan where the five rescuers died in the line of duty at the height of the super typhoon rampage in the town of San Miguel.

The five, all members of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, were Narciso Calayag Jr., Jerson Resurreccion, Marby Bartolome, George Agustin and Troy Justin Agustin.

"What these five heroes sacrificed for the sake of others will never be forgotten. Sila ang inspirasyon namin," Poe Llamanzares said.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan, inspired by the late Fernando Poe Jr.'s movie "Ang Panday," was organized in 2013 after typhoon "Maring" hit the country affecting 2.5 million people and displacing around 800,000 residents.

Its missions are to extend assistance to the needy, especially those affected by natural and man-made disasters, and to build the spirit of bayanihan among Filipinos.

Panday means "to forge or build" and bayanihan refers to the spirit of community action inherent among Filipinos.