House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez on Monday turned over relief goods to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and six other legislators from districts hardest hit by Typhoon "Ulysses."
Romualdez said this was in response to Velasco’s fund drive for victims of recent typhoons.
The majority leader, who celebrated his 57th birthday on Saturday, said he was reminded to give back to the people who were victimized by the recent calamities.
Romualdez also turned over sacks of rice, boxes of canned goods and cup noodles, solar lights, face shields and face towels to Catanduanes Rep. Hector Sanchez, Cagayan Rep. Samantha Louise Vargas Alfonso, Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, Bulacan Rep. Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, and Quezon City Rep. Precious Castelo, whose districts were hit by recent typhoons.
Former Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday also appealed to former government officials to unite and help the communities affected by the recent tropical cyclones.
“Helping our people doesn’t stop when we leave the government, especially in times of calamity," Binay said. The former vice president extended assistance to the provincial governments of Cagayan and Isabela.
The former vice president earlier urged the government to immediately augment the calamity funds of local government units in the areas affected by typhoons.
“National government should immediately act to augment the calamity funds of LGUs. The funds are almost depleted because of the aid they extended during the lockdown and the typhoons. Their resources and manpower have been stretched to the limits,” Binay said.
Pope Francis has offered prayers for the country and the victims of Typhoon “Ulysses.”
In his tweet, the pope also expressed sympathy and concern for the thousands of Filipinos affected by the storm that brought heavy flooding in some parts of the country.
“I am near in prayer to the dear people of the #Philippines who are suffering because of the destruction, and especially because of the flooding caused by a strong #typhoon,” he said in his Twitter account, @Pontifex on Sunday night.
“I express my solidarity to the poorest families and those who are doing all they can to help them,” the pontiff added.
"Ulysses" caused massive flooding in Luzon including Metro Manila and the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela. The typhoon's death toll remains at 67 — 22 in Region 2; two in Region 3; 17 in Calabarzon; eight in Region 5; 10 in CAR and eight in NCR.
Even before "Ulysses" hit, Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) also wrought widespread destruction in the Bicol region early this month.
When Pope Francis visited the Philippines in January 2015, he held a mass in Tacloban City and met with survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), the most powerful storm recorded on land.
Meanwhile, Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba thanked President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his visit and pledge of support to the flood-hit province.
During the Laging Handa briefing on Monday, Mamba said Duterte knows many of Cagayan’s problems and challenges — both new and recurring — noting that discussions are already ongoing on how to fix these issues.
Duterte, he said, would order an investigation into the release of water from Magat Dam that worsened flooding in both the provinces of Cagayan and Isabela after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.
He said Duterte will also look into policies for regulating the release of water from dams, illegal logging in Cagayan, and the immediate dredging of the entire length of Cagayan River.
On Sunday, Duterte visited Cagayan and met with his Cabinet and local officials in Tuguegarao City to discuss the rescue and relief efforts for those affected by flooding and the rebuilding of the province.
On Saturday, residents of parts of Cagayan and Isabela pleaded for help after being blindsided with flooding said to be the worst in the past 40 years.
To help address flooding in Cagayan, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday suggested river dredging and intensified reforestation in the province, including private lots.
He proposed the immediate dredging of Cagayan River and planting of 200 million tree seedlings on low-lying agricultural areas in Cagayan after it suffered its worst flooding in decades due to heavy rains brought by the recent typhoon “Ulysses.”
“These are the interventions which we can already start. I think if we do these, we can already make a difference, Mr. President,” Cimatu told President Rodrigo Duterte during a Cabinet meeting.
Duterte signified full support for Cimatu’s twin proposals with his response.
“Go for it and I will support you all the way,” the President told Cimatu.
In other developments:
* The Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) called for the upgrading of their early warning and flood monitoring capabilities to help mitigate the impact of any future flooding.
* The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) sent an augmentation team to support relief efforts in Cagayan Valley. “Cagayan needs our help badly, so, we immediately sent our teams there with rescue vehicles and boats,” said PRC Chairman Senator Richard Gordon.
“Our volunteers from Subic and Nueva Vizcaya also went there to support our rescue operations in flooded areas, while the Red Cross Cagayan chapter started distributing hot meals and providing the needed assistance to the residents at the evacuation centers.”
On Sunday afternoon, another team of Red Cross staff and volunteers were deployed to Cagayan including volunteers from the Water, Search and Rescue (WASAR) team from Cavite. The PRC also sent a 10,000-liter water tanker, one food truck, one ambulance, one rescue boat, one Land Cruiser that will be used for assessing the situation in the area, and two ten-wheeler trucks that carry non-food items to be distributed to the residents. The non-food items include 500 sets of sleeping kits, jerry cans, hygiene kits and tarpaulins.