LUCENA CITY – More than 13,000 families in the province of Quezon took advantage of a break in severe weather brought by Typhoon Tisoy (international name Kammuri) to return home on Tuesday.
Authorities said it’s zero casualty in the province so far.
Janet Geneblaza, Quezon public information officer, said in a phone interview that police, Army and volunteers helped the residents return.
Geneblaza said the zero casualty record was made possible by coordination among local government officials, disaster management workers, billage, policemen, soldiers, volunteers and other government agencies.
“All have worked together,” she said, pointing to an order given by Gov. Danilo Suarez for rescue efforts to focus on the “safety and protection of every Quezonian.”
She said first responders of the provincial government went into the frontlines following a series of meetings with the governor.
“We did not leave everything to chance. It was all according to blueprint,” she said.
The evacuees had stayed in government-designated shelters, mostly village halls, while some stayed briefly with relatives.
Most evacuees came from coastal areas vulnerable to storm surge and landslides and other communities which had been tagged danger zones.
Food packs had been distributed earlier.
Edited by TSB