DENR reports 3 workers dead, two missing in Tacloban

AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources lost three of its employees in Tacloban City to Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and two others are still missing, according to a regional DENR official.

Manolito Ragub, officer in charge of DENR’s regional office in Tacloban, identified the three confirmed fatalities as Grace Maga, a permanent employee, and Kristine Alvarez and Genevie Lentejas, both contractual workers.

The missing were identified in a Nov. 22 memorandum from Ragub as Eddie Naputo and Leo Dacanay.

The DENR said it will extend standard government death benefits to the heirs of the victims.

In a separate memo, Ragub asked the DENR head office to extend the services of its casual employees until Dec. 31 “due to the damage brought about by typhoon Yolanda not only to the office, including its facilities and equipment, but likewise the homes of our DENR employees.”

He also sought an extension of the implementation of the department’s rationalization plan as the office could not yet focus on the preparation of documents because of damaged computers and power shortage.