'HINDI NAMIN KAYA ITO MAG-ISA'

Dinagat Islands mayor appeals for help after Odette onslaught

The mayor of San Jose, in the typhoon-hit Dinagat Islands, has asked for assistance for his constituents since the town's food supply is quickly dwindling.

“Paubos na eh, paubos na yung pagkain. One week na lang daw yung supply ng pagkain namin,” San Jose, Dinagat Islands Mayor Yngwie Hero Ecleo said in Sheillah Vergara-Rubio’s GMA Regional TV One Mindanao report on Thursday.

(The food supply is running low. We only have a one-week supply of food left for the residents.)

“Hindi namin kaya ito mag-isa, kailangan namin ng tulong sa lahat ng mga NGOs (non-government organizations), international NGOs, open po kami. May command center na po sa PPA San Jose,” he appealed.

(We cannot do this alone. We need help from NGOs and international NGOs. We are open. We have a command center in PPA San Jose.)

Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) distributed food and water to the residents.

At least 14 people were reported dead in the Dinagat Islands following the onslaught of Typhoon Odette last week, provincial information officer Jeff Crisostomo said on Monday.

He said the entire population of the province was affected by the typhoon as all homes were either partially or totally damaged. — Richa Noriega/VBL, GMA News