Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez (Screengrabeed from PCOO)
MANILA – Quezon province Governor Danilo Suarez on Tuesday lauded the national government for providing early response and assistance to families severely affected by Typhoon "Ulysses" after he visited five island municipalities including Jomalig, Patnanungan, Panukulan, Burdeos, and Polilio.
"Timely, bago naman ako makarating dun nakadeploy na yung ating relief items kaya't (the relief packs have been delivered before I arrived there that's why) right now we have come up—this is temporary and we need more assistance pero (but) in the occasion of maybe one or two weeks we have enough or ample supply of foods para dito sa ating mga bikitma (for the typhoon victims)," Suarez said during a Laging Handa virtual presser.
Suarez said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has provided assistance to displaced families through Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) program, a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers.
"I would like to acknowledge the help of Sec. [Silvestre] Bello nagpadala siya sa’kin ng TUPAD sa DOLE na 20, at ito'y gagawin naming payout sa mga mawawalan ng kita (for providing TUPAD slots which we will provode as payout for those who lost their income)," he said.
He added that the province will be needing more assistance as the typhoon battered the primary livelihood of farmers and fishermen in the islands.
"Fishing and agriculture will be dead for a certain period of time, sapagkat medyo malaki pa ang mga tubig dito (since the flood has not yet subsided in some areas) and that money will be quite handy, maraming salamat kay (thanks to) Sec. Bello," he said.
Agricultural, relief efforts
Suarez said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has already prepositioned its agricultural interventions for affected farmers and fishermen.
"Masisipag ito, gusto nilang makabangon kaagad (people here are really hard-working, they want to recover immediately) but we really need more assistance in terms of agricultural inputs atsaka tulong sa magsasaka (and other interventions for our farmers)," he said.
Suarez also cited the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) relief efforts.
"Nakapagpadala na sila ng (they have sent us additional) 12,000 family food packs [ulet] that will be very, very helpful at ito dinidistribute na namin (the distribution is ongoing)," he said.
He thanked DSWD Sec. Rolando Bautista and Senator Bong Go for extending social services and providing more resources for the affected residents in the province.
Suarez said the DSWD has provided motorized fiberglass boats for affected fishermen in the province.
"Baka kay Sec. Bautista meron pa siyang motorized fiberglass boats na pwede nilang maipadala sa aming lalawigan (maybe Sec. Bautista has spare motorized fiberglass that he could donate to the province)," he said, as he requested DSWD to help more fishermen recover their livelihood.
Around 57,000 families or 214,000 individuals hit hard by Ulysses in Quezon province will be needing more assistance from the national government, according to the governor.
Suarez said Ulysses has destroyed major roads in the province as some remain impassable while others are now accessible with only one lane.
Suarez said road clearing and cleaning operations are ongoing.
He said more uniformed personnel have already been deployed to help rebuild roads in the province.
As residents still reel from losses following the onslaught of several destructive typhoons in the province this year, Suarez appealed to the national government for more food packs and medical supplies that could help them until they recover.
The national government has earlier vowed to aid calamity-stricken areas in the wake of the subsequent typhoons that hit the country, with the creation of the Build Back Better Task Force—a whole-of-government approach to disaster rehabilitation, restoration, and recovery. (PNA)
