Vehicles for Tacloban arrive

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Authorities here have taken custody of 17 fire trucks and three ambulances donated by Japan to Visayan communities devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” last year. They have started converting the vehicles to suit Philippine driving regulations before these are sent to the Visayas.

“The donations are expected to help strengthen the capability of the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in responding to disasters and managing emergencies,” said Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chair Roberto Garcia.

He said the vehicles would be taken to the intended destinations in the Visayas on the second week of December after undergoing mandatory test drives here.

The vehicles are worth $202,760 or about P8.5 million, according to Mariko Watanabe, third secretary at the economic section of the Japanese Embassy.

Watanabe, who supervised the unloading of the vehicles and their transfer to the conversion facility inside this free port on Nov. 11, said the vehicles were funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

He said 12 BFP personnel would undergo training in Japan to operate the vehicles. Allan Macatuno, Inquirer C. Luzon