Former vice president Jejomar Binay on Friday (November 6) called on government to provide  face masks and face shields to residents in areas affected by Typhoon ‘Rolly’.

Such protective equipment, Binay said, is very important to curb the spread of the dreaded coronavirus disease (COVID-19) especially in temporary shelters.

“Dapat tiyakin natin na ligtas ang mga kababayan natin na nasalanta ng bagyo (We should make sure that our countrymen affected by the typhoon are all safe). The last thing we need is for the virus to infect our people who are already suffering from the damage caused by the super typhoon,” he said.

The former vice president said face masks and face shields should be included among the relief items being distributed in affected regions. 

“It is important for national government agencies to ensure that our kababayan will get face masks or face shields and consciously promote its use,” said Binay.

The local government should not be expected to provide immediate aid to their residents because a huge chunk of their calamity funds were used to distribute relief goods and other assistance during the hard lockdown ordered by government early this year, he added. 

Prior to super typhoon ‘Rolly’, some areas were hit by Typhoon ‘Quinta’ severely depleting their calamity funds.

“Sa national government umaasa ang ating mga local officials at ang mga nasalanta (Our local officials and typhoon victims are relying on the national government)."

Over two million people were affected by the super typhoon, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

About 138,209 individuals sought refuge in evacuation centers, mostly in the Bicol region.

The national government said it has provided P26.6 million in relief packs for typhoon victims.