73-member mercy mission off to Negros Oriental

Earthquake site in Negros Oriental. AFP

A multiagency mercy mission is expected to arrive Thursday in Guihulngan and Dumaguete cities in Negros Oriental to extend medical and psychosocial assistance, and to provide clean water to survivors of a killer-earthquake that struck the Visayas on Monday.

Firefighting personnel and resources in the region have also been mobilized to deliver truckloads of potable water and assist rescue and relief efforts in the devastated areas.

The 73-member mercy mission is a joint undertaking of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Health (DOH), Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Albay province, said Raffy Alejandro, OCD director for Bicol. It will render service for 10 days.

Alejandro said medical, sanitary and security personnel led by William Sabater of the DOH would bring along a water purifying machine during their trip on board the Navy boat BRP General Luna from Bulan, Sorsogon, to Guihulngan. The machine can produce 33,000 liters of potable water per hour.

A team of two doctors and nurses led by Dr. Rose Rempillo of the DOH will fly to Dumaguete to help give postdisaster health intervention and psychosocial services.

Bureau of Fire Protection

In a directive, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to bring at least 10 fire trucks with potable water to Guihulngan and ordered the bureau’s heads in the cities of Escalante, Cadiz and Bacolod, which have two fire trucks each, to join in the effort.

“Guihulngan is currently in a very sad state. All water systems and electricity are down. The residents badly need potable water and we are doing all we can to deliver it to them as soon as possible,” Samuel Perez, BFP chief, said in a statement.

“This situation is also similar in Bacolod City where the local disaster risk reduction and management councils reported that all water coming from their natural water springs are polluted with mud,” Perez added.

He said he ordered his men in Central and Western Visayas to coordinate with local fire volunteers in Negros Oriental to help local government units in addressing quake-related problems.

UN assistance

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said it was ready to assist earthquake victims in the Visayas while continuing relief efforts for those affected by Tropical Storm “Sendong” in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.

“We will deploy additional personnel to the new disaster areas, if needed, to help in the rapid assessment to identify the most vulnerable populations in evacuation centers so we can deliver a more targeted response,” Arlene Calaguian, media and communications officer of UNFPA, said. Reports from Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon; DJ Yap and Tina G. Santos in Manila; and Ryan D. Rosauro, Inquirer Mindanao