Odette-hit areas receive more help to address water supply woes

LUCKY LEAK  -Residents of Cebu City, in search of  drinking water following the destruction caused by Typhoon Odette  are lucky to find a leaking pipe in Barangay Labangon (NESTLE SEMILLA  / file photo)

MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Odette survivors in parts of Luzon, Visayas and  Mindanao received assistance from several presidential candidates amid the water supply problems in badly affected areas.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, for his part, deployed 16 members of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) to Cebu City to assist in the clearing operations and provide potable water to residents affected by the typhoon, according to a statement released by his office on Monday.

MDRRMO Director Arnel Angeles said the 16 members of the MDRRMO were dispatched to Cebu City in three batches. They arrived on Dec. 22, 23, and 24.

Most of the personnel came from different fire volunteer groups in Manila.

12 members of the 16-man MDRRMO team were assigned to the clearing operations while four were in charge of the “water purification robots” that were brought by the team.

Aside from a water filtration machine, heavy equipment to be used for the clearing operations, and a rescue truck, the team brought relief goods to the area, according to Angeles.

Angeles said a water tanker was mobilized to provide much-needed water to Cebu City residents whose water supply has remained a problem more than a week following the typhoon’s onslaught.

The team has so far extended assistance to more than 1,000 Cebuanos, particularly those who are in need of water.

Angeles added that a “Kaagapay Tanker Transporter 3,” which can be used as a storage for diesel and gas, water and generator sets was also brought to Cebu City.

With the persisting water supply problem in the area, Angeles said some MDRRMO personnel will remain in Cebu City to aid those who are in need.

“Dere-deretso na po kami dito dahil sayang po ‘yung effort na magpadala tayo ng mga units. Hindi pa po nare-restore ‘yung water talaga ng Cebu. Wala pa rin po silang potable water. Sa ngayon po kung mano-notice ninyo pila pa rin sa mga refilling stations po at nasa P50 ang isang bote ng mineral na 350 grams,” Angeles said.

He noted that half of the team may leave Cebu City for Lapu-Lapu City on Monday to also lend a hand in clearing operations there.

Gallons of water, filtration kits

Meanwhile, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his team sent “almost 30 tons” of water as well as filtration kits to typhoon-devastated areas.

“Ang kritikal ngayon sa panahon na ito, which is few days after ng bagyo, ay tubig. Kaya’t nagpadala kami ng almost 30 tons ng tubig sa iba’t ibang lugar. Ang isusunod namin ay yung filtration kit,” Marcos said in an interview on DZRH on Thursday.

Marcos stressed the need for filtration kits since the majority of the affected areas were having problems getting clean water.

He pointed out that a filtration kit can produce water for 100 people a day.

Further, he said his team is set to send a ship to Palawan, which was also severely affected by the typhoon.

As of Dec. 26, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 378 fatalities due to the typhoon.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said over 3.9 million people or more than 1 million families have been displaced by the typhoon.

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