Robredo brings relief goods to Taal
Published Jan 14, 2020 12:00 am
By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday visited residents of Batangas who were affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano to provide them with relief assistance from her office and private partners.
Vice President Leni Robredo visited the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, where she was briefed on the situation following the eruption of the Taal Volcano, by officials led by Brig. Gen. Marceliano V. Teofilo, assistant division commander of the Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry Division, and head of Task Force Taal. (Photo by Jay Ganzon / OVP)
Robredo started her visit to the province with a briefing at 1 p.m from officials at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa, Batangas. Task Force Taal head Brig. Gen. Marceliano Teofilo, Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste, and other military and local officials briefed her about the situation on the ground.
She then proceeded to the old municipal covered court in the municipality of Sta. Teresita to check on the condition of the displaced victims there and give them aid from her office’s Angat Buhay and its partner organizations.
About 450 people are sheltering in the evacuation center after fleeing their homes in the wake of Taal’s phreatic explosion last Sunday.
Robredo’s office brought 1,000 face masks and 2,101 food packs for distribution to the evacuees. Each food pack contained 1.5 kilos of rice, assorted canned goods, and two packs of noodles.
The donations came from Angat Buhay partners Vice Squad, Scale Experts, Inc., CDO Foodsphere Inc., RAF International Forwarding Phils., and other donors in partnership with non-government organization Kaya Natin! Movement.
During her visit, Robredo learned from evacuees that they are in need of blankets, medicines, hygiene kits, and portalets.
“Iyong susunod na team namin na bababa dito, Thursday or Friday, iyong dadalhin nila iyong iba mga pangangailangan,” she said. (Our next team that will go here, Thursday or Friday, they will bring the other needs.)
Robredo said the residents who were evacuated from the danger zone fear what comes after this calamity. “At the back of everyone’s mind, iyong pinaka-inaalala nila, ‘hanggang kailan kami dito’ tapos ‘ano iyong babalikan namin?’” (…they are thinking, ‘how long we will stay here’ and ‘what awaits us upon our return’?)
“Ina-assure natin sila na-magpasalamat muna sa kaligtasan. Kailangan silang ma-assure na iyong pamahalaan may programa para sa kanila.” (We assure them they have to be thankful first for their safety. They need to be assured that the government has a program for them.)
The mandatory evacuation of residents from Batangas towns within the 14-kilometer danger zone was in response to Taal Volcano’s continuous rumblings since Sunday. The status of the active volcano remains at Alert Level 4.
More than 30,000 people or 6,891 families have been evacuated as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash and smoke, according to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
On Tuesday, Robredo was also scheduled to visit two evacuation centers in the towns of Sto. Tomas and San Jose in Batangas for the distribution of relief goods.
Under Angat Buhay, the Office of the Vice President has partnered with the private sector for immediate relief and rehabilitation for various communities nationwide affected by earthquakes, typhoons, and other calamities.
Vice President Leni Robredo visited the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas, on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020, where she was briefed on the situation following the eruption of the Taal Volcano, by officials led by Brig. Gen. Marceliano V. Teofilo, assistant division commander of the Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry Division, and head of Task Force Taal. (Photo by Jay Ganzon / OVP)
Robredo started her visit to the province with a briefing at 1 p.m from officials at the Fernando Air Base in Lipa, Batangas. Task Force Taal head Brig. Gen. Marceliano Teofilo, Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste, and other military and local officials briefed her about the situation on the ground.
She then proceeded to the old municipal covered court in the municipality of Sta. Teresita to check on the condition of the displaced victims there and give them aid from her office’s Angat Buhay and its partner organizations.
About 450 people are sheltering in the evacuation center after fleeing their homes in the wake of Taal’s phreatic explosion last Sunday.
Robredo’s office brought 1,000 face masks and 2,101 food packs for distribution to the evacuees. Each food pack contained 1.5 kilos of rice, assorted canned goods, and two packs of noodles.
The donations came from Angat Buhay partners Vice Squad, Scale Experts, Inc., CDO Foodsphere Inc., RAF International Forwarding Phils., and other donors in partnership with non-government organization Kaya Natin! Movement.
During her visit, Robredo learned from evacuees that they are in need of blankets, medicines, hygiene kits, and portalets.
“Iyong susunod na team namin na bababa dito, Thursday or Friday, iyong dadalhin nila iyong iba mga pangangailangan,” she said. (Our next team that will go here, Thursday or Friday, they will bring the other needs.)
Robredo said the residents who were evacuated from the danger zone fear what comes after this calamity. “At the back of everyone’s mind, iyong pinaka-inaalala nila, ‘hanggang kailan kami dito’ tapos ‘ano iyong babalikan namin?’” (…they are thinking, ‘how long we will stay here’ and ‘what awaits us upon our return’?)
“Ina-assure natin sila na-magpasalamat muna sa kaligtasan. Kailangan silang ma-assure na iyong pamahalaan may programa para sa kanila.” (We assure them they have to be thankful first for their safety. They need to be assured that the government has a program for them.)
The mandatory evacuation of residents from Batangas towns within the 14-kilometer danger zone was in response to Taal Volcano’s continuous rumblings since Sunday. The status of the active volcano remains at Alert Level 4.
More than 30,000 people or 6,891 families have been evacuated as Taal Volcano continues to spew ash and smoke, according to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
On Tuesday, Robredo was also scheduled to visit two evacuation centers in the towns of Sto. Tomas and San Jose in Batangas for the distribution of relief goods.
Under Angat Buhay, the Office of the Vice President has partnered with the private sector for immediate relief and rehabilitation for various communities nationwide affected by earthquakes, typhoons, and other calamities.