MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has sent four teams to Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte and Borongan in Eastern Samar to help in the ongoing rescue and clearing operations, particularly areas hit the hardest by “supertyphoon Yolanda” (international name Haiyan).
In a statement, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the four teams would coordinate with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and other government agencies and assist in finding everyone, casualties and survivors, as well as in the clearing of debris.
“Two teams are dispatched to Tacloban and one team each is assigned in Ormoc City and Borongan, Eastern Samar.”
The four teams, composed of 50 personnel from the agency’s Public Safety Division (PSD), Road Emergency Group (REG), Metro Parkways Clearing Group (MPCG), and Sidewalk Clearing Operations Group (SCOG), led by Ryan Castaneda and Corazon Agulan of PSD, left Sunday afternoon.
“These are well-trained personnel similar to the ones sent previously to rescue missions in several provinces. Their expertise and dedication will definitely boost the inter-agency disaster response efforts,” Tolentino said.
According to the MMDA chief, the teams are equipped with chainsaws, floating pumps, generator sets, tents, tool sets, trauma kits, and cadaver bags. They also brought a mobile water treatment plant.
Leyte and Eastern Samar are among the hardest-hit areas as “Yolanda”, the strongest typhoon ever to hit land, wreaked havoc across the Central Philippines on Friday, and left scores of people dead and missing, and damaged vital infrastructures.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said it has yet to determine the exact damage as it is unable to obtain complete data because the worst-hit areas still remain cut off from communications.
Last month, the MMDA sent rescue teams to Bohol and Cebu, which were devastated by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
RELATED STORIES:
Chaos, dead bodies on typhoon-ravaged streets of Tacloban City
10,000 feared dead in typhoon-hit Philippine province – police
151 killed by ‘Yolanda’; 4.5M people affected – NDRRMC
120 policemen deployed to prevent looting in Tacloban City