MANILA, Philippines- The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said on Friday it will send a truckload of confiscated billboards and tarpaulins to typhoon-devastated towns of New Bataan, Compostela Valley and Cateel, Davao Oriental which can be used as improvised tents by the thousands of displaced families.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the billboards and tarpaulins are those confiscated by the agency at the height of its Baklas Billboard operations against non-compliant advertising collaterals.
The seized tarpaulins, numbering almost 100, are big-sized and can be used as roofing materials for improvised shelters, Tolentino said.
“These tarpaulins are rotting in our warehouses so we have decided to put it to good use by sending it to typhoon-devastated towns in Mindanao,” he added.
At least 19,212 families have remained in evacuation centers after losing their homes in the floods brought by typhoon Pablo.
As of Thursday, a total of 902 people have died while 635 have remained missing in the devastation brought by the typhoon.
Tolentino visited New Bataan in Compostela Valley on Wednesday to personally observe the search and retrieval operations being conducted by various agencies.
The MMDA sent its own team of rescuers to New Bataan and Cateel to help in the continuing efforts to retrieve the bodies of hundreds of still missing residents.
“Many residents have lost their homes and the evacuation centers are already maximized. We have to send all the help we can to these people so they can recover the soonest possible time,” Tolentino said.