Robredo appeals for help for Dinagat Islands: They’re running out of food

Vice President Leni Robredo visited Dinagat Islands, one of the provinces hit hard by Typhoon Odette. Image from Facebook / VP Leni Robredo

MANILA, Philippines — The province of Dinagat Islands needs attention as Typhoon Odette left a trail of destruction in the area, leaving people without food and other essential items like water and fuel, Vice President Leni Robredo said.

In a post on her personal Facebook account on Monday, Robredo appealed for help after seeing the situation in the province herself, saying that the recent typhoon leveled the province, including its provincial capitol.

Robredo visited various Odette-hit areas on Sunday, including Dinagat Islands.

“Kailangan na kailangan po ng Dinagat Islands yung tulong natin. Naiyak po kami paglapag palang namin nung nakita namin ang kalagayan nila. Wasak na wasak halos lahat pati ang Provincial Capitol na binisita palang namin 2 years ago,” she said.

(Dinagat Islands badly needs our help. We can’t help but cry when we saw the situation on the ground, a lot of structures are really destroyed including the provincial capitol which we just visited two years ago.)

https://www.facebook.com/1003057789/posts/10223389593700386/?d=n

Food has been running out, Robredo said, that Dinagat Islands Governor Kaka Bag-ao had to go to Butuan City in Agusan del Norte personally just to look for resources that are badly needed by the province.

The Vice President, in her post, also showed a glimpse of the damage sustained by the province, as a lot of roads were still obstructed, forcing them to use motorcycles just to visit other areas.

“Paubos na daw po pagkain nila at walang mabili sa buong lalawigan kaya hindi po namin naabutan si Gov Kaka J. Bag-ao dahil pumunta siya sa Butuan para maghanap ng tulong. Wala pong kuryente, tubig at any means of communication,” she said.

(Their food supplies are running out and they cannot buy from any store in the province, which is why we did not cross paths with Gov. Kaka J. Bag-ao as she went to Butuan to seek for help. There is still no electricity and any means of communication.)

“Maraming lugar ang hindi pa madaanan ng sasakyan dahil sa mga natumbang poste ng kuryente at mga kahoy. Kinailangan po kaming sumakay sa motorsiklo para lang makaikot. Pasensya na po at wala po kaming helmet. Naghanap naman po kami pero wala po silang mahanap at halos lahat daw po nilang gamit ay natangay na ng bagyo,” she added.

(A lot of areas are still impassable for cars due to debris and road obstructions like electrical posts that fell down.  We needed to ride a motorcycle just to go across the province.  I am sorry if I am not wearing any helmet, we tried to look for one but almost all of their belongings were displaced by the typhoon.)

As of the latest count, 14 people died in Dinagat Islands while over 14,000 houses in the province were left destroyed.

In response, Bag-ao thanked Robredo for her assistance which they used to buy diesel fuel for generator sets in hospitals, as the area remains without electricity.

“Ateng!!! Leni Gerona Robredo maraming salamat sa pera, yakap at pagmamahal na hinatid mo.  Makakabili na din kami ng krudo para sa mga generators ng district hospitals. Pasensya na di tayo nagpang-abot pero ang mas mahalaga, damang dama ng mga taga dinagat at pagmamahal mo,” she said.

(Sister, (Vice President) Leni Gerona Robredo, thank you so much for the money you brought, the hugs and the love that you bought to Dinagat Islands.  Now we can buy diesel fuel for the generators used by district hospitals.  I’m sorry if we were not able to meet but what’s important is that the people really felt your love.)

The governor previously appealed for help as lack of communication with the municipalities present meant that they did not know the status of other areas.

Aside from Robredo’s photos, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) also sent out footages showing the devastation of of Dinagat Islands, Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, and Maasin town in Southern Leyte through aerial shots taken using a drone and while the Vice President was aboard a helicopter.

Starting last Thursday, Odette ravaged through Visayas and Mindanao, hitting the northern portion of Caraga Region before moving to the southern portions of Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and then Palawan.

At its peak, Odette packed maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center.

EDV