NOT FOR PHOTO OP. Office of the Vice President (OVP) spokesperson Reynold Munsayac says its office will not use aid distribution just for picture-taking, at a press briefing on Friday (Sept. 30, 2022). To avoid duplication, he said the OVP targets to distribute aid only to areas that have not yet received help. (PNA photo by Alfred Frias)
MANILA – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) announced Friday it is keen on preventing the unnecessary duplication of relief assistance and operations for the public.
At a press briefing, OVP spokesperson Reynold Munsayac said they have already identified target areas hit by Typhoon Karding.
“Two days pa po before tumama yung bagyo, naghanda na po yung ating disaster operations center… May mga target areas na kaming padadalhan. Ayaw namin ng duplication, hindi naman namin gagawing magbigay para mapicturan lang na meron kaming binigay doon sa area naman na hindi naman kailangang kailangan (Two days before the typhoon hit, our disaster operations center had been prepared… We have target areas for distribution. We don’t want duplication, we will not even dare to give just to secure a photo opportunity of relief giving to those who might need it less),"he said.
Included in their relief aid are food items with noodles and biscuits, and water, which are ready for distribution.
The OVP lauded the preparations of local government units (LGUs) before the typhoon made landfall.
“So far, nakita ho namin yung mga LGUs, napakagaling ng preprartions nitong nakaraang bagyo, halimbawa ‘yung Quezon, nag-evacuate na sila bago pa tumama yung Karding at ‘yung ibang probinsya, prepositioned na rin ‘yung ibang relief items (So far, we saw that the LGUs had excellent preparations during the previous typhoon. Quezon (province), for example, had already evacuated before Karding landed, even in other provinces, their relief items were already prepositioned),” he said.
Munsayac said the OVP has also sent its condolences to the families of the five rescuers who died in their heroic duty during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Karding.
“Yung ating OVP staff ay nagpunta na sa Bulacan, at naghatid na ng pakikiramay doon sa ating mga kababayang namatay na rescuer at pinahatid po nila yung ating mensahe na taos pusong pakikiramay ng ating Vice President (The OVP staff went to Bulacan to pay respects to the bereaved family of our rescuers, they have relayed [Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s] sincerest condolences),” he said.
As of Sept. 23, Munsayac said the OVP has processed almost PHP127 million in medical and burial assistance for 11,832 beneficiaries since July 1.
Some 732 beneficiaries of medical assistance to indigent patients have received PHP10.09 million from the OVP and the Health Department; while PHP1.24 million in assistance has been given to 451 individuals in crisis situations.
Meanwhile, the OVP’s Libreng Sakay (free rides) program has already benefited 76,366 Filipino commuters since Aug. 3. (PNA)
