BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Personnel of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office are donating 50 percent, equivalent to P1,000 each, of their allowance to victims of Typhoon Odette, deputy provincial police spokesperson PLt. Abegael Donasco yesterday said.
Donasco reported that 29 typhoon fatalities have been accounted for, 25 others are still missing, including the 20 in Sipalay City, while 38 had been injured, as of yesterday.
PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos ordered the Police Regional Office 4 to assist the Police Regional Office 6 in Western Visayas, as six generator sets were dispatched by PRO 6 to city police stations of Kabankalan and Sipalay, Ilog, Candoni, Cauayan and Hinobaan that were badly hit by the typhoon, as well as to the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Army chief Major General Romeo Brawner Jr. also said that Army soldiers are also volunteering to give a percentage of their subsistence allowance to the victims.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, disclosed that 79th and 62nd Infantry Battalion soldiers are assisting the city government of Kabankalan City, as well as Ilog, in clearing, search and retrieval operations, in coordination with the 15th Infantry Battalion stationed in southern Negros.
In response to the cry for help of Negrenses, especially those in southern Negros, many private groups also joined the provincial government of Negros Occidental in sending help to the typhoon victims in southern Negros.
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is slated to dispatch 500 food packs from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to typhoon affected communities, as well as 294 more jerry cans of potable water for the Relief Operations Center in Kabankalan City.
The Office of the Civil Defense 6 yesterday reported that the Department of Social Welfare and Development distributed 10,450 food packs to Negros Occidental, amounting to P5.3 million.
Provincial consultant Alfredo “Albee’ Benitez also cancelled the P1.5 million house and lot package grand prize on his 55th birthday raffle held at SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City on December 20.
Instead, he will divide it among the victims of Typhoon Odette, whose houses were totally damaged and thus still remain at evacuation centers in Bacolod City,” Benitez said.
Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio also delivered on Monday P2 million worth of assistance to victims of typhoon in the province.
House Minority leader Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano also said that former Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez has allocated P3 million worth of rice, canned goods and noodles assistance to the typhoon victims in the southern Negros, excluding the initial 100 sacks of rice from the Abang Lingkod party list group.
The Coast Guard ship BRP Nueva Vizcaya yesterday delivered 800 more family food packs and non-food items, including 50 shelter repair kits, 100 family packs, 500 hygiene kits to Negros Occidental, that arrived at the BREDCO Port in Bacolod City, which came from the OCD-16 and DSWD.*
