Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday, Dec. 18, promised residents displaced by typhoon "Odette" in Cebu City that she--together with local officials--will find a way how they can return to their homes.
Robredo visited the local Guadalupe Barangay Hall, where she was greeted with applause by evacuees upon arrival. She first visited Bohol, which was also ravaged by Odette, on Friday.
In a video posted by on her YouTube channel, Robredo was seen checking up on the evacuees and asking how they were doing.
“Wala na po kaming bahay, ma’am (We don’t have a house anymore, ma’am),” one resident from Barangay Guadalupe told Robredo.
The evacuees told the opposition standard-bearer that “almost all” of their houses were destroyed by the typhoon.
“Aayusin lang natin kung paano natin ipapagawa (We will just plan on how we can rebuild them),” Robredo said. “Pag-usapin natin kung ano ang gagawin (Let's discuss what we will do next).”
In a Facebook post, Robredo recalled her conversation with some of the 800 families whose houses were pummelled by the typhoon.
“Pinapakita nila sa amin ‘yung mga pictures ng mga bahay nilang nasira (They were showing us the photos of their damaged houses),” she said.
“Nakakadurog ng puso pakinggan ang mga kuwento ng mga nawalan ng bahay (It crushes my heart to listen to the stories of those who lost their houses),” she added.
Apart from Guadalupe, the Vice President also visited an evacuation center in Barangay Sapangdaku, where she was accompanied by former Interior undersecretary Bimbo Fernandez. Her team stayed behind in Cebu to continue its relief operations.
“Dahil walang kuryente, apektado ang drinking water nila. Kaya malaki ang pangangailangan (Because there is no electricity, their drinking water is affected. So they have big needs),” she said.
“Ngayon nagbibigay tayo ng mga pagkain but after nito, ang poproblemahin nila ‘yung mga pampagawa ng kanilang mga bahay. Pagtutulong tulungan natin ito (Now we are providing food but after this, their problem is to repair their houses. Let us help each other),” Robredo added.
Earlier Saturday, Robredo shared photos of fallen electrical posts and trees on the streets via Twitter.
READ: Robredo flies to Cebu to continue ‘kakampink’-driven relief efforts
“We’re in Cebu now. Signal is difficult. Devastation everywhere. Been travelling more than 2 hours already from the airport to Cebu City,” she wrote.
“Traffic is bad: Roads still being cleared of electric lines and posts that toppled down, and lines are long at gas & water refilling stations,” the aspiring president added.
Robredo is no stranger to providing permanent housing to victims of natural disasters and calamities.
Her three "Angat Buhay Villages" in Camarines Sur provided more than 120 homes to families displaced by flooding. She also has another housing project in Marawi City for those displaced by the 2017 siege.