by Miriam G. Desacada
Catarman N Samar–Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr (PBBM) and the national government for the full support to Northern Samar and extensive assistance to the Nortehanons, which he said were crucial in the rehabilitation and recovery of the province.
Northern Samar was the most heavily battered province from the unusually heavy rains and massive flooding that hit Eastern Visayas over the weekend until Tuesday due to the combined onslaught of shear line and low pressure area.
The governor earlier sought help from PBBM during a situation briefing right after the President with some of his Cabinet officials arrived in Tacloban City Thursday morning for post-disaster quick response.
Marcos and his officials initially planned to land in Catarman, the capital town of Northern Samar but, due to the inclement weather still hovering around the province, they were prompted to deplane in Tacloban City instead and set the post-disaster command base there.
During the situation briefing done via Zoom with the President, Ongchuan reported that more than 300,000 Nortehanons were direly affected by the calamity, more than 30,000 families were displaced from their houses and, aside from landslides, damaged road and bridges that were rendered impassable.
The governor said that the damage to agriculture and crops in the province was pegged at around P172 million. “The rainfall volume—continuous for 30 hours— hit 701 mm, worse than the 455 mm during typhoon Ondoy. A month’s rainfall happened only in 30 hours,” he told the presidential team.
In response, Marcos immediately directed national government agencies and his Cabinet officials to fast-track aid to flood victims in Northern Samar and other provinces, and ensure that roads become passable to facilitate the transport of relief goods.
Officials who were with the President’s plane that landed in Tacloban were Secretaries Gilbert Teodoro of National Defense, Rex Gatchalian of DSWD, Ben Abalos Jr of DILG, and Manuel Bonoan of DPWH.
During the meeting, they were joined by City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Undersecretary Mark Gimenez of the Presidential Management Staff for the Visayas, Lord Byron Torrecarion of the Office of Civil Defense-Region 8, and Eastern Samar Vice Governor Maria Caridad Sison-Goteesan, among other regional and local officials.
“We are doing everything we can. Let’s work for those who are in evacuation centers, including those who are still in their houses. We have to go and make sure that they get the food packs, the get sufficient water supply,” said the President, as he dispatched orders for quick relief and rehabilitation efforts to his men.
DSWD Secretary Gatchalian said his agency already prepared hundreds of thousands of food packs for distribution to affected families in Eastern and Northern Samar provinces. He said they are also finalizing the list of those damaged and partially damaged houses to serve as basis for the fund aid to help the victims rebuild or repair their houses.
DSWD-8 Regional Director Grace Subong committed 100,000 food packs for the affected families, some of which were already delivered, with the rest to be distributed within the next four days.
Director Michael Victor Tizon of the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD)-Region 8 promised to facilitate assistance, in coordination with LGUs, to those whose houses have been washed out or damaged.
DOLE-8 OIC Regional Director Dax Villaruel assured help to 4,331 flood victims under its TUPAD program, while DENR-8 Regional Director Lormelyn Claudio offered 3,000 board feet of lumber for rebuilding of damaged houses due to extensive flooding.
Department of Agriculture-8 Regional Director Andrew Orais promised seeds for the next cropping season and also to provide support and assistance to the fishery sector.
DPWH-8 Regional Director Edgar Tabacon disclosed that all major thoroughfares in Northern Samar are already passable, while he committed works on improving the waterways, bridges, flood controls and slope protection infrastructures in the province.
The military, through 8th Infantry Division commander, Major General Camilo Ligayo, for his part, committed round-the-clock manpower and transport services to facilitate relief efforts in affected provinces.—Miriam G. Desacada