The Duterte administration is exerting all possible efforts to fast-track relief and rehabilitation measures in the aftermath of typhoon Ulysses which hit the country last month.
Thus said former Speaker and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano even as he urged local officials to take every effort to help their constituents who have been suffering the effects not just of the typhoon but also of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to provide relief assistance to victims of Typhoon Ulysses.
In an update released on Monday, the agency’s Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center reported it has so far poured a total of P199,436,373 to aid Filipinos who were affected by the recent calamity.
The amount came from the fund of the agency, local government units, non-government organizations, and other private sectors.
The aid came in the form of family food packs and non-food items such as sleeping kits, kitchen kits, and hygiene kits.
In a visit to the towns of Balayan and Laurel in Batangas and Paete in Laguna late last week, Cayetano emphasized the importance of collective action among the people and officials in order to help each other recover.
“The important thing is that we hurdle this challenge together," he said.
Cayetano reached out to more than 1,200 families in Balayan, Laurel, and Paete as part of his “Bayanihan Caravan” program aimed at organizing relief efforts through the support of private donors to help alleviate the condition of families affected by floods, typhoons, and other disasters.
In Paete, around 380 families and 220 front-liners received grocery packs from Cayetano’s group, who were welcomed by Rep. Benjamin Agarao Jr., Mayor Rojilyn Bagabaldo, and Vice Mayor Kid Parso.
In his visit to Batangas, Cayetano also met with Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes, Rep. Eileen Buhain, Balayan Mayor Emmanuel Fronda II, Laurel Mayor Joan Amo, Vice Mayor Rachelle Ogalinola, Councilor Carlito Ogalinola, San Nicolas Mayor Lester de Sagun, and Agoncillo Mayor Dan Reyes to discuss the needs of their constituents.
The local executives thanked Cayetano for his continuing initiative to provide assistance to their areas since the volcanic eruption last January and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a speech, Mayor Amo recalled how Cayetano first reached out to Laurel in January when Taal Volcano erupted, then in February when the town reported its first African Swine Fever case, then in March when the country was placed in a state of health emergency, and recently when Batangas was hit by typhoon Ulysses. "We have been hit by all sorts of misfortune. And like I said before, all our ‘whys’ have been turned to gratitude," Amo said.
“Instead of asking, ‘why?’ and thinking ‘why is this happening to us?’ I turned it into gratitude because up to now our friends like the Cayetano couple have not forgotten us and have been helping us," Amo added.
In his speech, Cayetano assured residents they are “not forgotten” and explained the efforts of the House of Representatives to pass the bill establishing the Department of Disaster Resilience which seeks to boost the national government’s rehabilitation capacity.
He also underscored the need for members of Congress to listen to the real concerns and sentiments of the people who have been adversely affected by disasters.
Cayetano encouraged the local government executives to continue working for their constituents and reminded them that while God has a sovereign plan for everyone, they should also act.
“The Bible also tells us action is needed because faith without action is dead. Patay po ang pananampalataya o paniniwala kung wala pong pagkilos,” he said.
“There is always hope, and when we talk about crossroads, we’ll always talk about hope,” he added.
Since November, the Bayanihan Caravan has visited typhoon-devastated communities in Camarines Sur, Albay, Bulacan, Rizal, Marikina, Batangas, and Laguna.
To date, more than 6,000 individuals—including 3,314 members of transport groups, vendors and front-liners — and 11,858 families have received food packs from the said project.
Based on DROMIC's official tally, the typhoon has affected 1,202,886 families in 7,251 barangays.
As of Monday, there are still 9,726 families or 39,028 persons taking shelter in 240 evacuation centers. It also added that 1,994 families or 7,787 persons are staying outside evacuation centers.
DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said these families have opted to stay with their nearby relatives or friends.
“Lesser families in evacuation centers means they are slowly going back to their homes and are recuperating,” Dumlao added.
Typhoon Ulysses has totally damaged 23,173 houses and partially damaged 166,407 houses.
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario has partnered with various concerned agencies to provide financial assistance for the settlement of those affected by recent typhoons through the Build Back Better Task Force.
Earlier, the National Housing Authority estimated that the government would need P2.2 billion to provide one-time housing cash assistance to typhoon victims.