MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday urged Filipinos to help their countrymen – especially those hit hard by Typhoon Tisoy – get back on their feet, especially that Christmas Day is just around the corner.
Bicol — where Robredo’s bailiwick, Naga City, Camarines Sur, is located — was the region most devastated by Tisoy.
“‘Iyong sa akin lang, siguro pagpapaalala lang sa lahat na iyong mga masuwerte, sana i-take on natin ‘yong responsibility na tumulong sa iba,” Robredo said in an interview in Quezon City.
(I am reminding all Filipinos, especially those who are more fortunate, to take the responsibility in helping others.)
“Iyong pagtulong naman, hindi naman kailangang malaki. Kahit isang pamilya lang iyong matulungan, isang buhay lang iyong matulungan, ang laking bagay na. Kasi parang symbol din iyon ng pagpapasalamat natin sa mga graces na dumating sa atin—iyong pagtulong sa iba,” she added.
(The aid does not necessarily have to be big. Even if you just help one family, or even one person, it’s already a big thing. Helping others is like a symbol of being thankful for the grace we’ve received.)
The Vice President said her office has already sent teams to the region and relief operations have already started.
Robredo added that she will visit the hard-hit areas later in the day.
“Hinihikayat pa rin natin iyong karamihan na kapag mayroon naman silang kahit extra nila, ipantulong sa pagkain. Nangangailangan doon, bigas. Maraming mga lugar sa amin wala pang kuryente, baha pa, walang signal ng telepono, so mahirap talagang makahingi ng tulong sa labas,” Robredo said.
(We encourage Filipinos that if they have extra portions of rice, they should donate it. Rice is needed there. Many areas there still don’t have electricity, no phone signals, and are still flooded, so it’s difficult to get help from the outside.)
“Puwede sa aming ipadaan o puwedeng ipadaan kahit kaninong organization na tumutulong doon,” she added.
(Those who are willing to donate, they can course it through us or they can course it with other organizations that are helping there.)
Robredo also expressed confidence that Filipinos affected by the typhoon will weather through the calamity and come out as better individuals.
Tisoy, a typhoon at its strongest, made four landfalls in the country: the first was over Gubat, Sorsogon at 11 p.m. on December 2; second was over San Pascual, Burias Island, Masbate at 4 a.m. on December 3; third was over Torrijos, Marinduque at 8:30 a.m. on December 3; and last was over Naujan, Oriental Mindoro at 12:30 p.m. on the same day.
Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals as high as Signal No. 3 was raised during Tisoy’s onslaught.
The following areas declared a state of calamity due to the typhoon:
-Albay province
READ: Albay declares state of calamity due to ‘Tisoy’-Oriental Mindoro
READ: Oriental Mindoro declares state of calamity
-Camarines Sur
READ: 6-month state of calamity declared in Camarines Sur
-Northern Samar
READ: Northern Samar declared under state of calamity
-Magallanes, Sorsogon
READ: State of calamity declared in Sorsogon town ahead of Tisoy onslaught
-Quezon province
READ: Quezon placed under state of calamity
-Marinduque
READ: Marinduque declares state of calamity
Tisoy, which eventually weakened into a low-pressure area, exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday morning, Dec. 5.
READ: Tisoy exits Philippine territory, scattered rains still expected – Pagasa
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) reported on Saturday that a total of 225,964 families or 970,464 individuals were affected by Tisoy in the Bicol region, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Caraga.
Meanwhile, a total of 172,613 houses sustained damage; 134,537 of which were partially damaged while 38,076 were totally damaged. These were located in Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Luzon, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and Caraga. #
READ: NDRRMC: More than 200k families affected, 172,613 houses damaged by Tisoy