Distribution of relief items a struggle in isolated barangays of Eastern Samar

Residents from isolated barangays in Eastern Samar have started using fishing boats to get relief goods from neighboring islands as recovery efforts from Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) begin, a television report said Wednesday.

 

A report on GMA News' Unang Balita showed residents in Hilabaan, Dolores fetch their goods from a neighboring island with boats, a similar method employed by other victims islands in the typhoon-hit province.

 

Because of the operations, Borongan Mayor Fe Abunda and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman admonished inaccurate reports stating a delay in the deployment of goods.

 

"Siguraduhin po natin kung totoo. Anong ginawa ng city government? Disaster na nga, didisasterin pa yung istorya na 'di tama," said Abunda. 

 

"Kung meron kayong nakausap na 'di nakatanggap, okay lang namang i-report 'yun eh. Pero i-report ninyo kung ilang yung pinamimigay namin," Soliman added.

 

Other than rain and wind, residents who fled in evacuation centers said sand even made their temporary shelters difficult, for the force of it could kill anyone near the sand.

 

The Philippine Red Cross estimated that some 13,000 homes were destroyed during the height of Ruby on Eastern Samar, where the storm first made landfall on Saturday.

 

In its 6 a.m. Wednesday update, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported a total of 9 deaths and 480 persons injured in Central and Eastern Visayas.

 

An estimated P1,955,123,994 in damages was predicted in Southern Luzon, Bicol, Western and Eastern Visayas. — Rie Takumi/RSJ, GMA News