SENATE President Juan Miguel Zubiri has turned over some 15 metric tons of rice donated to the victims of Tropical Storm Paeng in Zamboanga City.

Zubiri flew to this city Thursday, November 3, and turned over the rice donation to Mayor John Dalipe and First District Representative Khymer Olaso.

“This rice was acquired through my personal account and through donations from private sector and civic groups,” Zubiri said.

The rice donation consists of 600 sacks of 25 kilos each or a total of 15 metric tons.

The donated rice will be distributed to families displaced by flood spawned by heavy downpour during the onslaught of Tropical Storm Paeng last week.

Dr. Elmeir Jade Apolinario, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said the flashflood displaced over 10,000 families with more or less 60,000 individuals.

Ma. Socorro Rojas, City Social Welfare and Development Office chief, said some of the displaced families are still staying in evacuation centers.

Rojas said eight of the 39 evacuation centers they established at the height of Tropical Storm Paeng’s onslaught is still open and occupied.

Zubiri flew to Central Mindanao after his visit in this city to turnover the donated rice to the typhoon victims in that region. (SunStar Zamboanga)