OCD Eastern Visayas taps PrimeWater for ‘Odette’ post-disaster needs assessment

FILE PHOTO: Fallen trees and those shredded of their leaves by the sheer fury of the winds of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) give no shade under the blazing sun in this photo taken on December 20, 2021, of a street on Siargao, four days after the island received the full force of the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2021. AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), through the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) of Eastern Visayas, has sought the assistance of PrimeWater for a joint post-disaster needs assessment on areas ravaged by Typhoon Odette, which struck the region in December last year.

The inter-agency assessment was led by experts from 16 government agencies whose role is to compute and estimate the damage, losses, and needs of sectors under infrastructure, productive, social and cross-sectoral impact of the disaster.

PrimeWater’s branch offices in Leyte Metro and Maasin joined the 16 government agencies in conducting a detailed evaluation on the impact of typhoon Odette on the water system of 19 local government units in Southern Leyte, including providing its recommendation on the sustainable reconstruction of loss and damages brought by the typhoon in the pipeline projects.

This assessment will be used as the basis to create the rehabilitation and recovery plan which will determine all recovery and reconstruction activities needed by Odette-hit communities in Southern Leyte.

“PrimeWater, as one of the most dedicated companies that uplift the way of life of Filipino families and communities by giving them access to quality water, was chosen to be part of the team as we are promoting a whole of nation approach,”OCD Region 8 Director Lord Byron Torrecarion said in a press release on Wednesday.

‘’We believe that achieving the intended outcomes would help the efficacy of advancing recovery and rehabilitation in the intended area,’’ Torrecarion added.

PrimeWater Maasin’s branch manager Sansy Suson said the firm is “very honored” to be part of the activity and “ glad to be of service not just to our covered areas but to the whole of Southern Leyte.”

Branches of PrimeWater in the Visayas and Mindanao region have also extended aid to residents hit by the typhoon.

Relief packs containing rice, water, canned goods, toiletries, and blankets were rolled-out to 19 barangays across their service and non-service areas while simultaneously providing continuous water service among their customers.

“This crisis has proven how we at PrimeWater made true to our commitment to our customers to provide safe and sustainable supply even during a calamity,” Suson said.

/MUF