Bicol Region BPSF to focus on rehabilitation, employment, health

MANILA, Philippines — The Bagong Pilipinas Serbiyo Fair (BPSF) in Bicol Region will focus on rehabilitation and possible resettlement, especially for victims of recent typhoons, House of Representatives Deputy Secretary General and BPSF National Secretariat head Sofonias Gabonada Jr. said on Tuesday.

Gabonada in a press briefing at the Batasang Pambansa complex said that agencies relevant to post-disaster response like the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), and the National Housing Authority were tapped for the mini-BPSF in Bicol Region, particularly in Catanduanes, Albay, and the Camarines provinces.

“Well for Albay, it’s a mini BPSF. Only the relevant agencies that can provide rehabilitation to our affected areas were tapped like DOLE for emergency employment, DOH for the health programs, and some other services like NHA for housing projects,” he said.

“So the relevant agencies will be tasked to conduct the mini-BPSF for the four provinces [in Bicol] hit by the typhoons,” he added.

According to Gabonada, the 24 trucks carrying relief goods that departed the House of Representatives on Monday have already reached the Bicol Region.  Most of the relief items, he said, were rice.

“Well, those 24 trucks will be proceeding to various areas.  First, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Albay, and Catanduanes.  They have arrived as of 10:00 a.m. Earlier, the relief goods and some rehabilitation [items] have reached Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.  Half of the trucks are moving towards Albay and the last one is Catanduanes in preparation for our massive relief and rehabilitation efforts on Thursday with Speaker Martin Romualdez,” he said.

“We are happy to announce that most of the items brought by the 24 trucks that arrived in Bicol are rice.  That’s around 650,000 kilos of rice that will be distributed to the four regions hit by the typhoon,”  he added.

Gabonada also assured the public that the House and the rest of the government would also bring aid to other hard-hit areas like Central and Northern Luzon, noting that priority was given to the Bicol Region because it was already affected by successive typhoons.

“Actually, all the areas hit by past cyclones — Kristine, Leon, Marce, Nika, Ofel, and most recently Pepito — will be assisted, but we helped Bicol first because they were hit by the typhoons twice, and the massive destruction necessitates widespread efforts,” he explained.

“For Region 1, Region 2, Calabarzon, and Region 8, we have also sent relief goods there and we have endorsed, through the Office of the Speaker and based on the directive of President Bongbong Marcos, funds for our House members so that they can provide cash assistance for constituents badly affected by calamities,” he added.

But for the BPSF in Samar, Gabonada said all agencies that normally participated in past fairs would join.

“But for Samar, name it, from A-to-Z services, everyone is there, from passport applications, clearances, financial assistance, scholarship, livelihood, licensing […] I think sixty national government agencies, two hundred fifty programs and services will be offered in Samar,” he said.

“Samar will be the last BPSF for this year, this Friday and it is also massive. We are expecting to cater to a hundred thousand families for cash assistance. We are targeting around hundred eighty thousand beneficiaries across all programs and services,” he added.

Provinces in the eastern part of Luzon and Visayas were hit hard by at least five successive tropical cyclones, starting from late October up to the third week of November.  According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the three most recent tropical cyclones — Nika, Ofel, and Pepito — displaced more than 600,000 people across the country.

Damage was estimated to be P500 million.

Reports said that seven have died due to Super Typhoon Pepito.  Previously, government authorities said there was one person from Camarines Norte who died, which President Marcos said was still too much.