Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday stressed on the importance of conveying the right message especially during times of crisis and calamities.

In an interview with ANC's Headstart, Robredo explained how crucial it is for people - especially those in the government - to communicate and give the “right message” at a time when the country is grappling with effects of recent typhoons and the ongoing pandemic.
 
“Kapag panahon na may matindi tayong pinagdadaanan, napakahalaga nung mensahe na we are giving utmost urgency on things that are really urgent (When we are going through something serious, it is very important that the message we convey is that we are giving utmost urgency on things that are really urgent),” Robredo said.
 
Robredo was specifically asked to comment or react how President Duterte and other attendees exchanged “sex jokes” during the televised briefing on the government’s response to the recent typhoon held in Camarines Sur.
 
The VP, who has been at the front lines when the recent typhoons struck, said that she has not seen or heard about the issue yet. However, she cautioned that such remarks might convey the wrong message - especially to the people who are still reeling from the effects of the recent calamities.
 
“Kapag binibigyan ng attensyon yung ibang bagay, yung na-e-evoke, yung nako-communicate natin mali, yung nako-communicate natin na hindi ito ganun ka-importante na seseryosohin natin (When you give attention to other things, we might be evoking or communicating something is wrong, what we communicate is that what is happening is not that important for us to take it seriously),” Robredo said.
 
Robredo said that conveying the urgent message is very important at all times. “Not just with this incident, but with many other incidents, if we’re going through something really serious, it is also very important for us to communicate how urgent a particular matter is,” she stressed.
 
Robredo has been mobilizing efforts to help those who were affected by the back-to-back typhoons “Ulysses” and “Rolly.”
 
The Office of the Vice President (OVP), she explained, has been helping to mobilize efforts for rescue operations with the help of other government agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) - among others. “They have been very, very helpful and we wanted to thank them for being on the ground despite the threats,” she ended.