Catanduanes gov’t appeals for food-for-work program for residents

The Catanduanes chapter of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) provides 150 evacuees at the Provincial Capitol with hot meals. PRC will continue to monitor the situation and provide aid to those who will be needing help. Image from Philippine Red Cross FB page

MANILA, Philippines — The governor of Catanduanes appealed on Tuesday to the national government to implement a food-for-work program for its residents affected by Super Typhoon Rolly, tagged as the world’s strongest typhoon so far for 2020.

In an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo, Gov. Joseph Cua said that while the national government vowed to deliver on Tuesday the relief goods for the provinces severely hit by the typhoon, such aid may not last for a long time.

“Ang pakiusap ko sana aside from relief goods—ilang araw lang ‘yan ubos na eh, bagsak ang ekonomiya natin—sana magkaroon tayo ng program, food for work, na kung saan ‘yung mga taong walang trabaho [pwede] tumulong na maglinis ng mga kalsada, kung ano ‘yung dapat maitulong para marestore ‘yung ating lugar, at bayaran natin ng pera o kahit pagkain, kahit relief goods na lang ang ibayad natin para masustain naman ang kanilang pangkain,” he said.

(My appeal is that aside from relief goods, which will only last for a few days, is for us to have a food-for-work program where people who lost their jobs can help clean the roads or help in any way they can to restore our province. Then we can pay them money or even food so that we can sustain their resources.)

According to Cua, the province needs augmentation of relief goods from the national government as most of its funds for relief efforts were already depleted for its COVID-19 response.

He said Catanduanes was really “devastated” by Rolly, which barreled through the Bicol Region and Southern Luzon before it eventually weakened into a tropical storm.

For instance, four people were dead, one is missing, 68,000 individuals or 15,000 families were affected, 11,000 houses were damaged based on initial reports, 80 percent of electric posts were toppled, and communication lines were destroyed due to the impacts of the typhoon, according to the governor.

Cua added that the province also needs hardware materials for the rehabilitation of houses damaged by the rampage of Rolly.

JPV