The Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) distributed on Tuesday about 7,850 bags of rice to victims of the recent flooding in Northern Samar province.

APTERR Secretariat general manager, Dr. Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, and Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan led the ceremonial turnover at the Provincial Capitol to representatives of the local governments of Las Navas, Catubig, Lope de Vega, and Palapag towns.

The provincial government said in an update sent to reporters that the donations were part of the implementation of the Tier 3 program of the organization with donations from the Korean government. Each identified recipient family gets one sack of rice.

“The rice donation not only symbolizes assistance in the form of physical provisions but also carries a message of hope, unity, and resilience for the victims to rebuild their communities after grappling with the aftermath of the flooding,” Karnjanakesorn said.

Ongchuan thanked the organization for heeding the call to assist the province. He also noted that the Korean government has been generous in funding infrastructure development projects and improving maternal and child mortality in Northern Samar.

“This rice distribution will provide economic relief to badly hit families. Our resources are very limited to address the developmental challenges of our people. Any assistance is always welcome. We are committed to working harder to become more prepared and capable in dealing with disasters,” he said.

Partners in the distribution were the National Food Authority (NFA), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the provincial government.

The APTERR is a regional cooperation established under the APTERR Agreement signed by the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry of the ASEAN Plus Three in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct.7, 2011.

The main objectives of the APTERR are to strengthen food security, poverty alleviation, and malnutrition eradication among its members.

The massive flooding in November last year affected 609,870 people in 691 villages in Northern Samar, Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and Southern Leyte provinces.

Massive floods destroyed about 57 houses and damaged 249 others.

The unprecedented 618 mm. of rainfall in 24 hours, or the equivalent of nearly six weeks’ volume of rainfall in a single day, caused the heavy floods in the Northern Samar. (PNA)