The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office on Tuesday said its branch offices are on standby to assist those affected by Typhoon “Nona” (international name Melor).
According to PCSO acting chairman and general manager lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II, “The PCSO branch offices in the Visayas and Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region have been placed on alert and are ready to extend any needed assistance.”
In line with this, PCSO’s Charity Sector also issued an instruction to its Special Projects division to “coordinate with the concerned branch offices regarding the appropriate calamity assistance that the [PCSO] can provide to the families.”
Under PCSO’s Quick Response Program, PCSO will shoulder the cost of medical treatment in government hospitals for victims directly affected by natural disasters and national emergencies, in line with PCSO’s mandate.
PCSO will also be distributing relief goods as needed, in coordination with PCSO branch offices and local government units.
In the past, PCSO has attended to victims directly affected by calamities and natural disasters such as the Compostela Valley landslide, Bohol and Cebu earthquake, and Typhoons “Yolanda,” “Sendong,” and others.
Meanwhile, Chairman Emerson Carlos of the Metro Manila Development Authority has ordered the agency’s disaster team to prepare for rescue operations in areas identified by local government units as critical during bad weather.
Carlos, who also heads the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the agency is now on ‘yellow alert’ status as 30 percent of the MMDA’s personnel and equipment are ready for immediate deployment to address any eventuality.
The disaster team includes personnel from Road Emergency, Communications, Flood Control and Traffic Groups while dump trucks, rubber and wooden boats, and other heavy and light equipment have been prepared for deployment.
Carlos said that the 17 local government units in Metro Manila are already on a standby continue monitoring the situation of the weather.
MMDA clearing unit, flood and traffic composite teams have already been deployed to flood prone areas in the metropolis.
The agency urged building contractors to secure their cranes and other equipment to prevent any accident.