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Thursday, February 21, 2008
Arroyo orders rehab of flood-hit areas in E. Samar
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday ordered the conduct of speedy relief and rehabilitation operations in Eastern Samar following the landslides and flooding that stemmed from the incessant rains that has now affected about 8,973 families.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said additional calamity funds would be made available when needed but at present, existing resources that had been released to the public works, social welfare, and defense departments and other agencies close to the affected province should be used first.
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"The President ordered the rehabilitation of damaged public works soon. She also ordered the use of local labor as much as possible through the food for work, in relief and rehabilitation works," he said.
Deputy Presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said the President wants all assets and resources of government to be mobilized to respond to the disaster in Eastern Samar and the other provinces in Eastern Visayas that are affected by the incessant rains.
Golez said Arroyo immediately initiated the provision of relief goods from the social welfare and health departments and other agencies with the help of the Philippine National Railway and the Philippine Air Force.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro had been deployed last Wednesday to deliver relief goods.
Golez also said a C-130 is carrying the relief goods.
Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, said Golez, would follow on Thursday and bring more relief goods and at the same time to oversee the activities in the evacuation centers.
"The President also directed all concerned agencies to fast-track the damage and needs assessment to find out how much from the National Calamity Fund and which resources must be provided and prioritized to bring back normalcy to the region. All government agencies and instrumentalities must reach out to affected families and provinces," Golez said.
Other instructions of the President include:
* The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) working round the clock to clear roads and bridges to maintain lifelines ad communications;
* The Department of Health (DOH) to attend to the medical needs of those affected and by sending disease surveillance teams to evacuation centers;
* The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to see to it that evacuees in the evacuation centers are in fit condition and provide adequate relief goods;
* The Office of the Civil Defense to work with all concerned agencies including the regional, provincial and district disaster coordinating councils to ensure coordination efforts are in place; and
* The Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police to maintain order and security and shall mobilize resources to assist and facilitate search and rescue efforts.
DSWD records showed that of the 8,973 families whose homes and farms were flooded, 4,050 are from Dolores; 2,556 from General McArthur; 1,328 from Jipapad; 802 from Maslog; and 237 from Borongan City.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone, in a statement, said the province had already become isolated due to a landslide last Sunday that blocked a portion of Wright-Taft Road, which links Eastern Samar to Samar.
Evardone said a farm-to-market road and two wooden bridges had already been washed out by the floods while crops estimated to worth a P500,000 from Giporlos had also been destroyed.
Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla said close to 400 families from Tacloban City, Palo, and Dagami are also affected by the floods, but there is no need yet for any evacuation.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) chairman and Senator Richard Gordon said he has received reports from its Eastern Samar chapter that 27,414 families are affected by the continuous down pour of heavy rains as of Wednesday afternoon.
Gordon said 279 barangays out of 597 barangays within 23 municipalities in the province experience flooding when the rivers of Loom, Canobing, Camada, and Surok overflowed.
The PNRC provides services and relief goods to 248 families (1,241 persons) in two evacuation centers since February 15 when the disaster first struck.
Likewise, the Leyte region experiences the flooding affecting 6,530 families (32,100 persons) within five municipalities of Leyte.
The Leyte chapter requests relief distribution to at least half of the affected families. They requested the release of 65 sacks of National Food Authority (NFA) rice and an initial cash advance of P20,000 for canned goods and other incidental expenses.
Gordon also reported that some roads in Eastern Samar have been buried by landslides; the McArthur Bridge that connects McArthur municipality to Borongan City and to the airport as well, collapsed. Due to these, the PNRC is experiencing delays in the deliveries of relief goods to Borongan and Tacloban Airport.
Gordon immediately sent a letter to Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and to Teodoro appealing for support to provide these affected areas with pay loaders in order to open up the stricken roads of Northern Borongan and Eastern Samar and "Engineering Units" for the immediate repair of the McArthur Bridge.
The senator also ordered the PNRC national office in Manila to send psychosocial support and health team to assist the needs of the evacuees.
The PNRC likewise sent a three-man assessment team to look into further damages and to send more disaster management services and relief
Health kits, clothing, general sets, and food and non-food items were initially sent for 750 families targeting 5,000 more beneficiary families.
Tents and water bladders for potable water are being prepared for the necessary set-up. The 143 PNRC volunteers are on stand by to provide assistance. (JMR/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (February 21, 2008 issue)
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