Albay achieves zero-casualty goal

Video by Noy Morcoso III

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay — The province of Albay recorded zero casualties in the onslaught of Typhoon Ruby Saturday, Governor Joey Salceda has said.

“We have recorded zero dead, zero injury, zero missing, and negligible damages,” Salceda told INQUIRER.net.

He said power utilities suffered “minimal” damage and that electricity had been restored in 70 percent of the province.

Ruby, which has been downgraded to a tropical depression, made landfall in the Eastern Visayas on December 6 and had been expected to heavily impact the Bicol Region.

While the provincial government recorded P36 million in damage in agriculture —mostly on rice production— Salceda said destruction was minimized after he ordered “early harvesting or premature harvesting.”

“Nagpapasalamat kami na ‘di kami masyadong nagulpi (We’re thankful we were not severely hit),” he said.

The governor said evacuees had returned to their homes.

Asked about relief operations, Salceda said, “Di naman kami nahirapan (We had little difficulty).”

“Nagawan namin ng paraan na pagpasok pa lang ng evacuation center ay andun na ung relief goods nila (We made sure that relief goods were already at the evacuation centers before the evacuees came),” he said.

He said disaster preparedness was “demand driven.”

“We don’t have any reason not to be a model. Mayon is here, which erupts every five years. We are in the Pacific Ring of Fire where a tsunami threat is possible, and we are a typhoon path province with at least five typhoons visiting us every year,” he said.

Salceda said that since the province did not suffer much damage, it would help provinces badly affected by the typhoon.

“We have a tradition of helping,” he said, recalling the assistance given by Albay after Supertyphoon Yolanda flattened the Visayas.

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