Press Release - Poe, volunteers set up soup kitchen for flood victims

Senator Grace Poe mobilized volunteers on Friday to set up a soup kitchen and serve warm bowls of lugaw (porridge) to residents of Manila hit by floods.

On Saturday, Poe will also lead in repacking operations of relief goods to be distributed in target barangays in Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan and San Juan cities.

"Many of our people lost their homes and possessions. They could not even cook or prepare meals. A bowl of hot lugaw will serve as instant relief to the hunger and cold," Poe said.

Poe's son and chief of staff, Brian Poe Llamanzares, who heads the group Panday Bayanihan Foundation, also took part in the relief activity.

The soup kitchen was set up at the court of Barangay 56 in Tondo, Manila, one of the communities worst hit by the flood triggered by Typhoon Carina and southwest monsoon.

Around 1,500 residents were served by the soup kitchen.

The senator, husband Neil Llamanzares, Brian, and volunteers will also repack goods and items for distribution to at least 2,000 flood victims in four cities.

The repacking and distribution will be coordinated with the leaders of the beneficiary barangays.

The target beneficiaries in Manila include residents from Barangays 56, 58, 60 and six barangays from Zone 5 in Tondo, Manila.

"Inanod ng baha ang bahay at kabuhayan ng maraming pamilya. Nakakataba ng puso na makita ang ating mga kababayan na nagtutulungan para iahon ang mga nasalanta," Poe said.

Poe added the work does not stop with giving aid, but in ensuring that flood mitigating infrastructures are working to avert another disastrous incident.

Earlier, the chairperson of the Senate finance committee vowed to scrutinize whether the budget for flood control projects were effectively spent.

"Concerned agencies must learn their lessons from the repeated suffering of our people during floods. They deserve a fresh budget for flood control only if they can guarantee that the taxpayers' money will not go down the drain," Poe said.