Duterte visits Agaton-hit Leyte

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte visited the victims of Tropical Depression Agaton in Leyte on Good Friday.

“So, this is what I came here for, to let you know that the government has not forgotten you. I will say this again, and I repeat, food won’t be a problem,” the Chief Executive assured survivors housed at Baybay City senior high school during the distribution of relief assistance.

“I want to make you smile. I know what you’re going through, especially those who are wounded. It pains me, too. While I was conducting an aerial inspection earlier, Jalad told me that there’s a lot more,” he said, referring to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) administrator Ricardo Jalad.

He added that the government would help the victims resettle first, before tackling the issue of providing new houses which he noted would take “a long, long process and not an easy one unless there’s a miracle.”

Duterte, accompanied by his special aide Sen. Bong Go, conducted an aerial inspection of the areas severely hit by Agaton in Baybay City. He also presided over a briefing with agency and local government officials to assess the damage and casualties.

Agaton left at least 167 dead, according to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. It triggered massive flooding and landslides in Leyte and other parts of the Visayas on April 11.

Birthday gift

Before flying back to Davao City, Duterte and Go visited Steven Lumanta, who was celebrating his 12th birthday at the Western Leyte Provincial Hospital.

Lumanta and his younger sibling lost their parents when, at the height of the storm, portions of a mountain eroded, causing a landslide that buried houses in Brgy. Kantagnos in Baybay City.

The President gave him a birthday cake and committed to gift him with a necklace. Go gave him a rosary and a mobile device to help him in his studies. Both vowed to support his other needs.

The gestures moved the boy to tears.

Lumanta is recovering from his injuries at the hospital, which also houses a Malasakit Center that Go opened in August of last year

After the government briefing, Duterte and Go handed out meals, food packs, masks and vitamins to affected residents. This is aside from the assistance given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the OCD.?Although it was Good Friday, Go stressed they opted to make the visit to ensure those affected by the storm feel that the government is not leaving them to fend for themselves.

“Our service to people does not choose a day, especially in this Holy Week that they need our help the most. The whole of government, led by President Duterte, is here to do what they are sworn to do and ensure that the victims would be able to get back on their feet,” the senator stressed.

Go said the injured and the sick could also get assistance from the Malasakit Centers in New Western Leyte Provincial Hospital in Baybay City; Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City; Leyte Provincial Hospital and Governor Benjamin T. Romualdez General Hospital in Palo and Ormoc District Hospital in Ormoc.

Agaton made its first landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar on April 10 and has since brought torrential rains to numerous parts of the country, forcing those living in low-lying areas to seek refuge in evacuation facilities.

Leyte province was the worst hit, with landslides wiping out houses and destroying farming and fishing communities. The provincial police office reported that the number of casualties in Abuyog town and Baybay City has risen to 147.

The deaths were mainly attributed to landslides and flooding.

According to the Department of Agriculture, damage to high-value crops, corn and rice, among others, reached P639.7 million.

Meanwhile, Go reiterated his call for the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience to ensure a quick response and a proactive and holistic approach to calamities and other natural disasters.

He filed Senate Bill 205, also known as the Department of Disaster Resilience Act of 2019, to address the bureaucratic challenges that undermine the government’s ability to better respond and provide support to individuals affected by disasters.

If passed into law, the DDR will consolidate the essential functions of all disaster-related agencies into a single department, allowing for a more aggressive and concerted approach toward disaster risk reduction as well as faster and more efficient delivery of services during crises.

Go also stressed the urgent need to act on disaster resilience measures such as the Mandatory Evacuation Center Act he filed to ensure that victims of disasters will have temporary shelters that will guarantee safety, promote social well-being and guard welfare while people recover and rebuild their lives.

Both measures are currently pending in the Senate committee on national defense and security, peace, unification and reconciliation.