LEGASPI CITY, Albay – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Council of Albay sends a contingent to heavily-flooded Isabela province in its effort to provide assistance to the growing number of typhoon victims in the said place, a military official said here today.
Colonel Arthur Ang, Commander of the 901st Infantry Brigade, said that he sent 12 soldiers and two M35 trucks to be part of Albay government’s disaster response operations in Isabela province.
“I readily provided my disaster response team as part of the contingent of rescuers from Albay. My unit is not short of volunteers who would like to help our brothers in Isabela province,” said Ang.
Albay Governor Joey Salceda, who also chairs the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, personally attended the send-off ceremony held in the provincial capitol in Legaspi City at around 10:30pm last night, November 7, 2010.
Mr Cedric Daep, the head of APSEMO said that Governor Salceda organized this disaster risk reduction mission.
“He wants to help our ‘kababayans’ in Isabela who are now suffering due to heavily flooding. The people in Albay are very grateful that we had been spared from major natural calamities this year,” said Daep.
In anticipation to the health problems such as waterborne diseases which are usually encountered during typhoons and flooding, a water purifier and three ambulances with complete medical facilities and personnel were brought by the contingent.
Daep said that the water purifier, a donation from the Spanish government to Albay, can filter 32,000 liters of drinking water per hour. This facility can serve thousands of people who might not have access to safe-drinking water as of this time.
In the next two weeks, the contingent of rescuers are expected to be housed in a large tent which they have brought with them, in a strategic location in the flooded areas to provide help to a maximum number of people.
Daep said that the contingent was self-sustaining with complete facilities and food provisions. “We will go there to help and we have ensured that our personnel are well-provided with all the things that they need to perform their noble mission,” Daep added.
The 70-man contingent was composed of health workers from the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development; the Albay Provincial Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO); rescue personnel from the AFP’s three branches of service (PA, PAF, PN) and the PNP.
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