MMDA sends humanitarian contingent to Tacloban

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Attorney Francis Tolentino INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said it sent 200-strong humanitarian contingent to Tacloban City to help in the ongoing repair and rehabilitation of areas destroyed by monster typhoon “Yolanda.”

The team – composed of civil engineers, carpenters, mechanics, electricians and laborers – left for Tacloban around 3 a.m. and will likely stay there for a couple of weeks, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said.

“Their mission is to help clear Tacloban of debris and wreckage that have blocked important roadways so as to hasten the safe movement of residents and emergency response units,” the MMDA chief said.

The agency added that the contingent will closely work with the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) to speed up the clearing and repair works.

He said the team, handpicked from various departments of the agency, is equipped with payloaders, dump trucks, tow trucks, forklifts, graders, backhoes, buses, and ambulances, and rescue and mechanic tools like hook lift, bolt cutters, generators, a water treatment machine, chainsaws, and battery-operated radios.

Also, among the Tacloban-bound team are radio operators, nurses, welders, masons and drivers, he added.

“Leyte is devastated. Thousands were killed, and almost everyone lost their homes. It is our desire to help residents rebuild their communities and bring back normalcy to the city,” Tolentino said.

Over the weekend, four search and rescue teams composed of 50 personnel were deployed by the MMDA to the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte and Borongan in Eastern Samar to help in the ongoing rescue and clearing operations in areas that suffered severe devastation from Yolanda’s fury.

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