THE Island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte has received more government assistance after it bore the brunt of Typhoon Odette, a top official of the Philippine Army said over the weekend.
Major General Edgardo De Leon, commander of the Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas, said they have sent soldiers in typhoon-affected areas to assist the residents and facilitate relief operations.
"We along with other government agencies like Office of Civil Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, and other agencies in Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) will exhaust all effort to help our people in the entire Southern Leyte get back on their foot,” De Leon said in a statement.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard have been helping in the logistics requirement of RDRRMC, transporting relief goods to the Island.
On December 17, 2021 alone, the day after Odette made landfall in the province, a Philippine Air Force reconnaissance aircraft was immediately dispatched to assess the damage caused by the typhoon.
Captain Ryan Layug, military spokesperson in the region, added that carpentry-skilled teams of soldiers were deployed to help make temporary pantries and sanitation areas.
"Ramdam na ramdam namin ang presensya ng gobyerno natin, nandyan sila para sa amin. Maraming Salamat," said Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta, as he expressed gratitude to the government agencies’ non-stop convergence effort to help.
The mayor also encouraged his constituents to replicate by waking up early at 5 a.m. daily to "expedite their recovery process, particularly the repair of homes and pump boats.”
Petracorta coined the "Magsipag at Magtulungan, para ang Pagbangon Hindi Matatagalan" as new motto for the residents.
According to the Army, 90 percent of existing structures in Limasawa were totally damaged, while the remaining 10 percent were severely damaged during the typhoon on December 16, 2021. (SunStar Philippines)