Legarda gets a warm welcome on arrival in Lilo-an, Cebu one of the areas hard-hit by Typhoon Odette last year.
MANILA, Philippines — Providing more livelihood programs for families of fisherfolk in Cebu to sustain them as typhoons increase in intensity and frequency is among the priority agenda of House deputy speaker and now senatorial candidate Loren Legarda.
The former three-term senator made the pledge as she concluded her two-day trip to the Province of Cebu to visit local government units where she extended assistance in the wake of typhoon Odette last year.
The super typhoon destroyed communities in the Visayas, Mindanao and parts of Southern Luzon, and interrupted power and water supply for weeks.
“Immediate help was needed then, so we responded expeditiously and extended as much help as we could to Cebuanos for them to recover from the destruction of Typhoon Odette. How Cebuanos strived to overcome this challenge, through the photos and videos they sent me, was truly inspiring and made me work even harder so we can provide them more help, especially through our social service programs,” Legarda said.
One of the communities she visited was the fishing community of Lilo-an, where fishing equipment and supplies were distributed to local fisherfolk in coordination with Lilo-an Mayor Christina Frasco.
“If re-elected to the Senate, I will ensure that relevant programs under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and convergence projects under the Department of Trade and Industry-Shared Services Facilities, would be given more funding support,” Legarda said.
Aside from fishing gear, Legarda provided financial assistance to typhoon victims in Cebu to buy housing and construction materials for 2,000 families, food packs, and solar lamps, among others.
Speaking before the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Cebu Chapter (LMP-Cebu), she discussed post-Odette recovery and “pandemic exit plans” specifically on tourism, education, and livelihood for typhoon-hit areas in the province.
In her 20 years in public service, Legarda has helped Cebu through various projects such as TUPAD and Government Internship Program (GIP) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to provide Cebuanos with employment opportunities.
In coordination with BFAR, Legarda also allocated funds for the Bangkang Pinoy Program that provided 48 fiberglass reinforced surveillance pump boats. These were distributed in the towns of Carmen, Medelin, Pilar, Liloan, Ronda, Bantayan, Dalaguete, Catmon, Alegria, Malabuyog, Santander, San Francisco. Another set of 48 reinforced surveillance pump boats were given to the 3rd District of Cebu province.