AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee provides food to stranded families that have taken shelter at AGRI headquarters (Rep. Lee’s office)

AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee opened the headquarters of his party-list in order to provide shelter, food, and medicines for families displaced by heavy flooding caused by Typhoon "Carina".

As of Thursday, July 25, more than 170 stranded families are housed at the AGRI headquarters located at Araneta Avenue corner Quezon Avenue in Quezon City.

Jovie, a resident from Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, expressed her gratitude for the asistance.

"Nakakatuwa na may mga ganito. Kung tutuusin, pwede kaming nasa kalye lang ngayon. Yung Ondoy kasi, nakakatakot talaga yun. Kaya alam ko na ‘pag ganun na kalakas, lumilikas na ko,” she said, as she recalled the challenges brought by the devastating 2009 typhoon.

(It's great that there are places like this. After all, we could just be on the street right now. Typhoon Ondoy was really scary. That's why I know that when the rain is that strong, I need to evacuate.)

In a statement, Lee underscored the importance of cooperation between public and private sectors to improve the country’s disaster risk reduction and management.

He says joint action is crucial in boosting relief efforts in times of calamities.

“Whole-of-nation approach dapat ang gawin natin para mabilis ang responde, mas malawak at mas mabilis ang nararating ng serbisyo, lalo na sa panahon ng sakuna at delubyo,” noted Lee.

(We should be doing a whole-of-nation approach so that the response is fast, the service reaches more widely and faster, especially during disasters and deluges.)

“Hindi na bago sa atin ang bagyo kaya by now, hindi na katanggap-tanggap ang mabagal na pag-aksyon at paulit-ulit na problemang dulot ng mga kalamidad,” he added.

(Typhoons are not new to us, so by now, slow action and recurrent problems caused by disasters are no longer acceptable.)

Aside from providing temporary shelter, Lee’s team also distributed food and medicines to residents of Barangays Little Baguio and Salapan in San Juan City, as well as families and volunteers in evacuation centers in Manila and Quezon City.

Earlier, the Bicol lawmaker coordinated with the Primark Centers and Town Centers which also opened their doors to those who needed a place to stay, park their vehicles, and charge their gadgets.

Due to extreme flooding caused by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon (Habagat), Metro Manila was placed under a state of calamity on July 24.

With this, the lawmaker has urged local governments to ramp up their respective flood and drainage projects.

“Seryosohin dapat natin ang mga proyektong tutugon sa malawakang pagbaha. May pondo ang gobyerno para dito, gamitin dapat ito para sa epektibong flood control,” he stressed.

(Projects that will address widespread flooding must be taken seriously. The government has funds for this, it should be used for effective flood control.)

“Kung iilan lang ang makikinabang sa budget para dito, talagang babaha ng perwisyo sa taumbayan (If only a few will benefit from this budget, then a lot of people will bear the brunt of floods),” he pointed out.