Westmincom ships relief aid to Jolo fire victims

THE Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) with the support of the different sector has shipped relief aid to the 2,800 families affected by the February 3 blaze in Jolo, Sulu.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Westmincom chief, said the troops hauled the relief goods into the vessels of the Navy and Coast Guard that departed from the port of Zamboanga Peninsula in the evening of February 4.

Sobejana said the relief goods were donated by the different groups such as the Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing, Permex Producer and Exporter Corporation, Filipino-Turkish Tolerance School, Woman Auxiliary Service, Western Mindanao Power Corporation, Venus Salon, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Southern City Colleges, eMedia Production Network, Inc., BlueShark Development and Trading Corporation, and other military units.

He said the relief goods consisted of sacks of rice and boxes of dried fish, bottled water, sardines, food packs, and used clothes.

Some 2,800 families were displaced when fire broke out in the village of Chinese pier, Jolo, Sulu.

The fire rapidly spread to the nearby villages of Tako-Takot and Tulay.

“We have created a center for relief operations to concentrate sector efforts and ensure the prompt delivery of assistance to affected families in Sulu,” Sobejana said.

“The military heeds and extends its helping hand in times of humanitarian crises. Soldiers will never falter in their commitment to respond to calls for help and will support agencies in saving the lives of the afflicted,” he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)