Aquino in Bulacan after visit to Tarlac, Pampanga flood areas

CALUMPIT, Bulacan, Philippines – President Aquino said Wednesday the government still needs to work on getting more of the country’s citizens to cooperate with the authorities in times of disaster.

Still, the President, arriving here on the third leg of an inspection of flood damage in Central Luzon, noted a sharp drop in the number of fatalities in the wake of Typhoons Pedring (international name: Nesat) and Quiel (international name: Nalgae) compared with Storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) in 2009.

“Sana walang namatay. Yung cooperation ng tao tatrabahuhin pa natin. Pero yung drop is from 400-plus with Ondoy, about 50 ngayon (I wish no one had died. We still have to work on getting people’s cooperation. But the drop is from 400-plus with Ondoy, to about 50 now),” the President said.

Mr. Aquino was welcomed in Bulacan by national and local officials led by Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman.

Bulacan was the last stop in his inspection of flooded areas and evacuation sites in La Paz in Tarlac, San Fernando in Pampanga, and Bulacan.

Mr. Aquino visited the flooded area around the Calumpit town hall and the evacuation center at the United Pulp and Paper Corp. and was expected to take up disaster response with the Central Luzon regional disaster council.