PCG shifts Odette operations from rescue to disaster relief –spokesperson

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday said that all their efforts in regions directly affected by Typhoon Odette were now geared towards disaster relief operations.

In an ANC interview, PCG spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilo said that per the order of Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, they are utilizing all maritime vessels for the mission, with two vessels bound for Palawan and two others sailing for the Visayas.

The BRP Tubbataha arrived in Central Visayas on Monday, carrying 10 generator sets, 10 pieces of solar panel, 12 drums of gasoline, 400 sacks of rice, 50 tarpaulin rolls, 20 trauma kits, 16 portable stretchers, and boxes of relief goods and medical supplies.

Balilo said that on top of these, they brought oil spill booms as there were 78 vessels involved in maritime accidents in Cebu at the height of the storm. Two of these vessels sank while other vessels either dragged anchor, crashed, or capsized.

“Ang problema dito, baka may oil spill. So, we sent additional personnel and additional oil spill booms para i-combat itong mga oil spill na makikita sa mga areas, particularly sa Mactan Channel,” he explained.

(The problem here is that there might be oil spills. We thus sent additional personnel and oil spill booms to combat these oil spills seen particularly in the Mactan Channel.)

The BRP Gabriela Silang also left Manila on Sunday, bound for Surigao, including Siargao and Dinagat Islands. It is expected to arrive in the province on Tuesday at 6 a.m.

According to PCG, this vessel is carrying 43 tons of relief goods for affected residents, as well as medical, rescue, and relief augmentation teams.

Meanwhile, Tugade said that the BRP Capones and BRP Cape Engano were pre-positioned in Palawan.

Balilo also admitted that they are still having trouble gathering maritime reports due to communication problems in certain areas, thus they could not assess the situation on the ground and make immediate decisions.

“In fact, ‘yung Palawan, very kokokonti ‘yung mga information na natatanggap namin on the ground. For the vessels o ‘yung mga missing na mga vessels and fishing boats, hindi namin makumpleto ‘yung data,” he said.

(In Palawan, we have received very little information on the ground. Due to this, we couldn’t complete the data on missing vessels and fishing boats.)

Preemptive measures

Aside from the PCG, Tugade said he placed the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on alert for ready response to Typhoon Odette victims.

“Ang DOTr, kasama ang aming mga attached agencies, ay nagsagawa ng preemptive measures bago pa man humagupit ang Odette. Nandoon kami bago tumama, habang tumatama, at matapos tumama ang Odette sa Pilipinas,” he said in a statement.

(The DOTr, along with its attached agencies have organized preemptive measures before Odette’s onslaught. We were there before, during, and after it hit the Philippines.)

Tugade said that the PPA provided light meals for stranded passengers at ports while ensuring their convenience and safety.

On the other hand, the CAAP, led by Director General Jim Sydiongco, flew to Siargao, Surigao, Southern Leyte, and Mactan, to assess the extent of damage in these areas and to come up with the program of works as the basis for securing a budget for airport repair.

Tugade further urged to stop the “politicization” of efforts to aid those who were affected by Typhoon Odette.

“Let us stop politicizing the aftermath of Odette. ‘Wag na nila ibandera kung sino ang naunang gumawa. Ang masasabi ko lang, maraming ginawa ang pamahalaan. Hindi dapat mamulitika. This is one time na dapat ay magsama-sama tayo,” he said.

(They should not brag about who helped first. All I can say is, the government has done a lot. This should not be politicized. This is one time we should all work together.)

— DVM, GMA News