LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, May 1 (PIA) -- More than 1,700 food packs, vitamins and other food items were airlifted to the far flung barangays in the province in the past two days.

Residents of barangay Tacadang and Badeo in Kibungan and Kayapa in Bakun received the relief goods during the two-day relief operation on April 29 and 30 conducted by the different stakeholders to bring support to those affected by the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the remotest areas in the province.

The Philippine Red Cross - Benguet Chapter, in coordination with the Office of the Benguet Congressman, facilitated the relief operation thru the Philippine Air Force, Tactical Operations Group 1 and the Office of Civil Defense - Cordillera.

PRC Benguet Chapter Administrator Oscar Paris said there was a call to support the remotest areas in the province due to the COVID-19 threat. These areas could be reached by walking and trekking for at least a day.

The food packs were personally funded by ACT-CIS Representative and Benguet Legislative Caretaker Eric Go Yap thru the Mobile Tulong program in continuing efforts to help mitigate impacts of the enhanced community quarantine.

The Congressman's Benguet Office Head Coordinator Anthony Kuan said that the Cong. Yap is doing various measures to ensure support to the people of Benguet during the COVID-19 crisis.

Yap donated P1 million to the provincial government which was used to purchase personal protective equipment for frontliners and local vegetable produce to help the farmers. The vegetables bought from the farmers were repacked and distributed as relief goods to the different municipalities and to stranded students and workers in the province.

Aside from the financial assistance, Yap also donated more than P2.5 M worth of PPEs to the Benguet General Hospital. He also provided 38 cavans of rice for each of the municipalities that served as the initial wave of assistance from his office to augment the existing relief assistance of the local governments that were distributed to the identified beneficiaries in their localities.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Benguet thru Gov. Melchor Diclas also provided five boxes of sardines and five boxes of noodles during the relief operations.

The relief operations was led by Kuan, Paris, PRC Benguet Chairman Provincial Board Member Robert Namoro, Benguet Governor's Office Executive Assistant Simod Diclas, PAF TOG1 Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Alan Macatingrao and the Kibungan and Bakun Municipal Police Stations. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)