Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso sent 16 members of the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) to assist in typhoon “Odette” relief operations in Cebu City on Dec. 22 - 24.

The 16-member team arrived in Cebu city incrementally from Dec. 22 to 24 and spent their holidays, including their Noche Buena, by handling debris clearing operations and distributing potable water to residents of Cebu City.

About 12 were assigned to help clear debris and fallen trees left in the wake of Odette while four were assigned to handle water purification through water filtration machines brought by the team.

“Tumutulong po kami sa pag-clear ng debris. Wala po kaming dalang relief goods pero may dala po kaming water filtration machine po. Kasi po ang dala natin eh heavy equipment po at saka po mga tools. Land base saw, cutting machines, ‘yun po ang mga dala natin (We are helping clear debris. We did not bring relief goods but we brought a water filtration machine. We brought heavy equipment and tools such as a land base saw and cutting machines),” said MDRRMO Director Arnel Angeles.

The MDRRMO team mobilized four utility vehicles to aid in the relief operations including a fire truck, a rescue truck, water tanker with a 10,000 liter capacity for areas with problematic water supplies, and a “Kaagapay Tanker Transporter 3” to store diesel, gas, water, generator sets, and relief goods, according to Angeles.

So far, the MDRRMO team has completed debris clearing operations in about three barangays in Cebu City and has distributed potable water to more than 1,000 Cebuanos, according to Angeles.

He added that the 16-member MDRRMO team will be deployed to Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City for further relief operations on Monday, Dec. 27.