FILE PHOTO: Residents in coastal villages of Anini-y town in Antique province are left homeless after strong winds accompanying Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) uprooted trees and tore walls and roofs away. PHOTO COURTESY OF CINDY LOQUIAS
MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, who is seeking a Senate comeback in the upcoming May elections, has extended financial assistance to local governments affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).
Legarda provided help to Negros Occidental, Cebu, Bohol, Southern Leyte, Palawan, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands, according to a statement from her office on Tuesday.
The former senator also helped out communities in her home province of Antique, which was among the areas hit by the super typhoon, by providing food packs and construction materials on a personal capacity with national government funds seemingly taking longer to reach localities.
“My province is also among the affected areas, and our neighboring provinces in Visayas, as well as in the Southern Part of Luzon and in Mindanao, were also severely damaged and have recorded casualties. In these trying times, our fellow Filipinos count on quick action and immediate response,” Legarda said.
“Kaisa ng aking pamilya, minabuti po naming magpaabot ng financial assistance upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga LGUs (local government units) na gamitin ang halagang ito sa kung ano sa tingin nila ang higit na kailangan ng mga tao sa kanilang mga lokalidad,” she added.
(Together with my family, we extended financial assistance for LGUs to use this in the way they see fit in order to help their localities.)
Legarda also recently turned over cash assistance to the province of Negros Occidental; Negros Occidental 4th, 5th, and 6th districts; Kabankalan City; Sipalay City; Province of Cebu; Cebu 2nd and 5th districts; Liloan, Mandaue City, LapuLapu City, Talisay City; Cebu City; Municipality of Consolacion; Province of Bohol; Bohol 1st, 2nd, and 3rd districts; and Tagbilaran City, according to her statement.
Legarda’s office also said it continued to provide financial aid during the holidays in Del Carmen and Surigao City in Surigao del Norte; Dinagat Island; municipality of Roxas and the 3rd district in Palawan; and Southern Leyte.
“We will continue to coordinate with provinces and LGUs for us to know what help we can provide. Patuloy din po tayong mag-bibigay ng tulong sa abot ng aking makakaya upang masiguro na walang mapag-iiwanan sa ating unti-unting pagbangon [We will continue to provide help in as much as we can to ensure no one will be left behind in our recovery from the typhoon],” she added.
As of January 1, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 407 fatalities due to Typhoon Odette.
The typhoon has affected 1,140,118 families or 4,462,997 individuals in 6,530 barangays, the NDRRMC also previously said.