Gov’t working to speed up delivery of storm aid

With relief goods flooding the tarmac and hangar of the Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan and the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, the government’s priority is to speed up delivery of these goods to thousands of typhoon victims in Eastern Visayas.

“We solved the production problem, we are capable of producing them (relief packs). What we are focusing on now is moving them or the logistics problem,” Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said yesterday.

Almendras arrived at the Mactan air base to help speed up the delivery of 150,000 relief packs a day to areas devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda.

He said he wants to speed up the pace of repacking in Cebu so they could reduce the volume of goods that will come from Manila.

“It is better to produce more goods in Cebu since the planes and boats can move and can come back faster,” Almendras said.

Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, commander of the AFP Central Command (Centcom), said while there are enough aircraft, vessels and trucks to deliver the relief goods, the government still welcomes the private sector’s help in transporting the goods.

“The runway is getting smaller and we also have more trucks from other countries to transport the goods to the affected areas,” he said.

Almendras reacted to what he said was the misimpression that the government did not respond quickly.

He cited 40 soldiers who cleared the runway of the Tacloban airport of debris immediately after the storm passed so that responders who were flown in could land immediately.

“These soldiers were also flooded out and we even lost six soldiers. They also lost their families. It is very inaccurate to say that we didn’t do anything in the first three days after the typhoon left the country,” he said.

Almendras cited Cebu’s central role.

“The role of Cebu is very critical since it is the central hub. It is the packing center and transit point of people entering and leaving Visayas. I am happy with their work,” he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the European Commission’s (EC) humanitarian aid and emergency visited the field hospital set up by the governments of Germany and Belgium in Palo, Leyte yesterday morning.

“We are here to show solidarity and provide comfort to the Filipino people who are in great misery,” Kristalina Georgeiva, head of the European Union humanitarian aid and emergency response told Cebu Daily News.

She also announced that the EC is raising its Yolanda emergency response to the Philippines from 13 million euros to 20 million on top of the 24 million euros committed by EU member-states.

Georgeiva also voiced admiration for the resilience of the Filipinos in the aftermath of the typhoon.

“Although in great misery and there was breakdown in order, Filipinos lending hand even if they themselves are victims is simply marvelous,” Georgeiva said. With Associate Editor BenCyrus G. Ellorin