Food, water and meds are what’s needed most

CEBU, Philippines - Food, water, and medicines are by far, the primary needs of earthquake victims in Bohol, Office of the Civil Defense-7 chief Minda Morante said.

Morante, who presided yesterday’s meeting with different agencies responding to the tragedy, said the damage in Bohol was overwhelming, particularly the towns of Loon and Maribojoc. He said they are having difficulty delivering the goods especially to interior barangays due to impassable roads.

“So mano-mano g’yud ang pag-deliver. Linog man gud atong kontra diri. Inig aftershock, mahadlok na sad, mamalik sa agi, so lisod, but mangita ta og paagi,” she said.

With this, OCD-7 is coordinating with the Central Command and Philippine Coast guard and tapping the help of shipping vessels, which can deliver the goods directly to the mountain barangays. Morante also said that from the port in Argao, Cebu, they can ride a vessel and go to Loon town, Bohol, after their bridge connecting to the mainland was destroyed by the quake.

Part of the donations came from the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance, an organization of 10 Asian countries including the Philippines.

Arnel Capili, the organization’s representative to the Philippines, said they have initially sent 250 family tents and another 250 family kits to Bohol.

Capili, who joined the meeting, said they also have members in Singapore and Malaysia who can help in the search and rescue operation in Bohol, should the national government seek their help.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City government still plans to help the neighboring province of Bohol which was suffered more during the quake.

“This is to show that even if we were also hit by the same calamity, there is what we call the sense of charity,” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama told The FREEMAN.

However, Rama said that it will be in the form of financial aid since the Quick Response Team of the city has to stay to address the problem and damage left by quake.

“QRT has to be here. We will be helping in the form of financial aid. As to the amount, we have yet to determine,” Rama said.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, who is active in the QRT being the founder of Basak Pardo Emergency Rescue, as well as being the representative of the mayor in the Project Reduce Danger Zone, agreed to this assessment.

“It’s very hard to leave Cebu City considering we are continuously experiencing aftershocks. I will not recommend sending our people to Bohol when we are also needed here in our own backyard,” Tumulak said.

Learning that about four local government units in Bohol were most affected, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office operations head Alvin Santillana said he will most likely recommend for a P4 million financial aid.

“We can send one representative from the city government, accompanied by our friends from AMRO, to personally hand the check to Bohol. But before that, we have to get a copy of the declaration of Bohol under state of calamity so that the processing for the financial assistance can roll,” Santillana added.

He was referring to the All-terrain Medical Relief Organization (AMRO) Cebu, headed by Dr. Wyben Briones.

RAFI sends help to Bohol

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. yesterday prepared 3,000 packs of relief goods intended for heavily-hit areas of Bohol.

“This is one of our social missions in being there for those who are in need of help.  We saw the magnitude of the suffering of the people of Bohol.  Our brand promise is elevating lives. This is one way of showing it,” said RAFI chief operating officer Dominica Chua.

She said this is not the first time that RAFI involved itself in relief operations during calamities in the Visayas and Mindanao areas. The last was when fighting broke out in Zamboanga City last month between separatist rebels and government forces.

“Whenever there are big calamities, whether in Cebu or in the neighboring provinces of Visayas and Mindanao, RAFI would be there. Either we implement it (relief operation) ourselves, like what we are doing now, or coordinate with our partners for the far provinces,” Chua said.

She said RAFI decided to join in the relief efforts Thursday morning and immediately called on its suppliers for help. RAFI employees packed relief goods well into the night just to finish the target of 3,000 packs that should already be sent to Bohol by morning today.

The items will be distributed to the people of Tagbilaran City and the towns of Catigbian, Sagbayan, Loon, Maribojoc, Antequera, Tubigon, and Loboc, which are the worst-hit areas.

Chua said each pack is good for five days for a family of six, and contains sugar, milk, noodles, canned goods, biscuits, snacks, and five kilos of rice.  RAFI is also giving a gallon of bottled water along with each pack. The relief items will be shipped to Bohol with the help of the Naval Forces Central Civil Military Unit.  (FREEMAN)