Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER.net file photo / Noy Morcoso
MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Leni Robredo has urged Filipinos encountering problems in sending donations for Typhoon Tisoy and Mindanao earthquake victims to seek the help of their office or other organizations capable of transferring the relief goods.
“Kung mahihirapang magdiretso doon, puwede naman through our office, or puwedeng through some other organizations na mayroong relief operations doon,” Robredo said in an interview in Tigaon town in Camarines Sur on Thursday.
“Ngayon iyong team namin nandoon na, nandoon na since two days ago, nagre-relief operations na,” she added.
(If they are finding it difficult to send the relief goods directly, they can send it to our office, or through some other organizations that have launched relief operations in the areas. Our team is currently there, since two days ago, they were conducting relief operations.)
Robredo, who hails from Naga City in Camarines Sur, again called on the public to help the people affected by the recent natural disasters, especially as the Christmas season is fast approaching.
“Nakikiusap lang tayo sa ating mga kababayan na sana makiisa: makiisa, tumulong, lalong lalo na sa Mindanao ngayon. Nangangailangan doon ng tents saka drinking water iyong kailangan, pero ngayon, dahil ang dami nasa evacuation centers, kailangan na din ng pagkain, kailangan ng toiletries,” she explained.
“So sana kaunting sakripisyo doon sa iba para makiisa naman sa kabigatan ng ating mga kababayan. Sana magpaabot ng tulong,” she added.
(We are asking our countrymen to unite, help especially those in Mindanao. They need tents and drinking water but because the number of people in evacuation centers are swelling, they also need food and toiletries.)
(So I hope we can sacrifice a little bit to help and take some of the burden that our affected countrymen are carrying. We hope they can help.)
During the first week of December, Typhoon Tisoy ravaged through Bicol region and parts of Southern, Central, and Northern Luzon. According to reports, the hardest-hit areas appeared to include the provinces of Albay and Sorsogon in Bicol, sustaining millions of damages to property and agriculture.
And just this last Sunday, a shallow Magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked Davao del Sur, leaving at least 11 persons dead, 195 individuals injured, and several structures damaged.
Aside from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), the Department of the Interior and Local Government also vowed to transport the relief goods to Bicol, through the help of an airline company.
The Vice President said that various areas in Bicol have not recovered yet from the typhoon’s effects.
“May mga bahagi pa ng Albay, may mga bahagi pa ng Sorsogon, saka Masbate na grabe pa. In fact, ang team namin ngayon, nasa Masbate, at bukas papunta ako sa Burias Island para tumulong,” she explained.
“Pero iyong sa akin lang, tatag ng loob na kahit marami tayong unos na pinagdaanan, basta tayo ay nananalig at tayo ay nagtutulung-tulungan, walang imposible,” she added.
(There are still parts of Albay, Sorsogon, and Masbate that are still seriously affected by the storm. In fact, our team is in Masbate, and tomorrow I would visit Burias Island to extend aid.)
(I ask that people to remain strong and strengthen their faith that even with the various problems we are facing, there is nothing impossible if we help each other.)
Robredo previously canceled her much-anticipated report on the drug war to give way for her office’s relief operations for Mindanao quake victims. According to her, teams from OVP have been deployed to assess the damage and the type of assistance that Mindanao residents need.