NDCC orders beefing up of transport of relief goods
With food, water and electricity still lacking or absent in many flood-stricken areas, Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chair Gilbert Teodoro has directed the mobilization of cargo planes and transport to bring in much needed food and other relief supplies to hundreds of thousands of flood victims in Western Visayas.
Teodoro issued the directive on Saturday in an NDCC meeting in Iloilo City to assess relief operations of government agencies.
"Our main problem is how to deliver relief goods from Manila and other urban centers to Iloilo," Teodoro told reporters.
He said only a C-130 military cargo plane has been transporting water, food, clothes and other relief material from Manila. "It's overtaxed. We need more," he said. He said military doctors would also be sent to augment health personnel bracing for an outbreak of diseases especially in evacuation centers.
Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, Western Visayas police chief and chair of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council, said in the NDCC briefing that more relief goods for flood victims are still need especially drinking water, food, beddings and medicines. There is also a need for water purifiers to help prevent an outbreak of diseases due to contaminated wells, busted water pipes and submerged water systems.
There is also a need for generating sets as some areas including the whole of Aklan province except Boracay Island are still still without electricity.
An RDCC report as of 6 p.m. of June 27 said that typhoon "Frank" has affected 417,655 families or around 2 million persons. Around 53,377 families or 306,535 persons were evacuated.
The death toll has risen to 342 with 290 others missing. Nearly 900 others were injured. The RDCC reported that the storm damaged or destroyed around P3.24 billion worth of property, infrastructure and agriculture.
Teodoro also directed relief agencies to "coordinate and consolidate" relief activities including those coming from the private sector and civic groups to ensure that there will be no overlapping and wastage.
Civic groups have complained that they lack information on where to bring in relief goods and medical services and where these are needed most.
Teodoro said the problems being faced were "great" but not overwhelming. He said help from other countries would be welcome as all resources have been mobilized in the worst flooding experienced in Western Visayas.
United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney met with Iloilo officials yesterday at the Iloilo airport to turnover relief goods transported by helicopters from the USS Ronald Reagan stationed off the coast of Panay Island.