Red Cross 90% ready to respond to another Yolanda, says exec

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) would be 90% prepared if a cyclone as strong as Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) hit the country.

In an online forum on the eighth anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, Red Cross Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla said the humanitarian organization "surmounted" challenges when Yolanda hit in 2013 with trained personnel and volunteers.

"In terms of gamit at manpower, I think si PRC naman as I had said dahil hindi naman sabay sabay mangyayari sa buong Pilipinas 'yon (Typhoon Yolanda), may mga tao na nasa ibang lugar na within the Philippines na puwede mong kunin sa mobilization sa lugar," said Zavalla, when asked if PRC is ready in case another Yolanda devastated a part of the country.

(Since these things are not happening in the whole country, we can delegate other personnel from other areas in the Philippines to the affected area.)

"So hindi natin sasabihin na one hundred percent, sabihin na natin na 90% siguro may preparation na nagawa para sa future disasters," she added.

(We are not saying we are 100-percent ready but 90%, we have preparations for future disasters.)

Since the typhoon ravaged the country, Zavalla said Red Cross boosted its assets, personnel, and logistics to improve its readiness for other big disasters.

Yolanda struck in 2013, the country's worst storm, after authorities reported 7,350 people dead or missing. -Consuelo Marquez/NB, GMA News