GMA wants displaced C’duanes folk relocated

LEGAZPI CITY — President Arroyo visited the typhoon-ravaged island province of Catanduanes yesterday and ordered the relocation to safe and permanent resettlement sites to some 10,000 families rendered homeless by super typhoon "Reming."

She also ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to fasttrack rehabilitation of damaged classrooms in preparation for the re-opening of classes in January.

Catanduanes was practically separated from the rest of the Bicol region after typhoon "Reming" directly hit the island and cutting its telecommunication facilities.

In an hour-long conference with provincial officials at the Bishop’s Residence in Piat, Virac, the President, together with Vice President Noli De Castro and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. ordered the release of P15 million for the relief operations and 1,000 bags of rice to be distributed to the typhoon victims.

Mrs. Arroyo told Catanduanes Gov. Leandro Verceles Jr. and at least 10 town mayors to look for at least a 10-hectare land to be developed into a permanent resettlement site for the displaced families.

Catanduanes Bishop Manalo delos Santos has sought the help of the President in transporting to the province of relief goods donated by Caritas Manila to the affected residents.

Mrs. Arroyo ordered to speed-up the completion of a road network that would connect Camarines Sur through Caramoan Peninsula to Catanduanes. This is expected to reduce travel time between the two provinces to merely 15 minutes as compared to up to three hours at present by sea travel.

At least 17 people died and scores more remained missing when super typhoon "Reming" battered Catanduanes with winds up to 220 kilometers per hour on Nov. 30.

Meanwhile, in Albay, fish vendors have been complaining of low income due to a drastic drop in the sale of marine products, particularly fish, following the retrieval of several bodies swept away by rampaging mudflows into the coastal waters here and the adjacent towns.

Nena Arnaldo, a fish vendor, said that she usually sells five to 10 kilos of assorted fish per day before typhoon "Reming."

"But now I can hardly sell two kilos of fish for a whole day of peddling. Even my suki (usual buyers) refuse to buy," Arnaldo said in the dialect.