Robredo to visit four more typhoon-hit provinces

In the coming weeks, Vice President Leni Robredo said she will visit four other provinces hit by the series of typhoons for relief operations.

In a Facebook live video, Robredo said that these areas which bore the brunt of typhoons Quinta, Rolly and Ulysses are still in need of basic needs such as ready-to-eat meals, mattresses, diapers for adults and children, sanitary napkin, nipa shingles, laminated sacks, rice, slippers, canned goods, milk, coffee, noodles, towels blankets, and water.

“Pupunta po tayo ng Quezon, sa Polilio island, may four municipalities roon, saka sa northern part na Infanta, General Nakar, Real. Grabe rin ang destruction r'on,” Robredo said.

“Sa Bicol [region], babalik pa tayo, hindi pa tayo tapos roon. Sa Masbate rin, sa Camarines Norte, sa Camarines Sur,” Robredo added.

Relief operations held at Robredo’s office in Quezon City are able to prepare around 5,000 food packs every day.

Robredo then said while housing the evacuees in concrete houses is better, the resources are not enough and that the people in coastal communities prefer to build on what is left of their homes while waiting for the government housing project promised to them by the National Housing Authority.

“The LGUs have been requesting for laminated sacks kasi multi-purpose, ginagamit nilang bubong,  nagagamit ring dingding. Iyon po talaga ang request ng mga mayors,” Robredo said.

“Ang gusto po nila iyong laminated sacks, nipa shingles, coco lumber. Mas gusto sana namin, kongkreto at huwag na tayuan ng bahay iyong nasa danger zone kasi kahit galvanized iron, nililipad, pero mas gusto nila na dagdagan iyong existing na meron sila,” she added.

The Vice President and her staff earlier visited the typhoon-ravaged areas of the island province of Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, Marikina City, Rizal, Cagayan and Isabela provinces to provide relief and other forms of aid.

Typhoon Ulysses has so far left at least 67 dead, 21 injured and 13 missing. At least 428,657 families or over 1.7 million individuals were also displaced.

Prior to typhoon Ulysses, the country was also devastated by typhoons Quinta and Rolly in the past month, leaving billions worth of damages in agriculture as well as public and private infrastructure.—LDF,GMA News