Paulino Visits Yolanda-Stricken Communities, Orders Disaster Plan For Olongapo
Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino visited Leyte and Samar to personally deliver relief goods, medicines and cash for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
He also took the opportunity to learn from the devastation to formulate a risk reduction plan for Olongapo in case a similar scenario will hit the city.
With Paulino was Angie Layug, head of the Olongapo City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (OCDRRMO) and City Councilor Jong Cortez.
“We decided to personally hand-over our donations to the local government and assess the situation,” Paulino said, “we want to learn from it because Olongapo is also close to the sea and vulnerable to storm surge.”
According to Layug, Olongapo and Tacloban have similarities, the latter has three Islands and an airport before the city proper while the former has one Island (Grande Island) and two ports in the bay.
“We will further study the pictures, videos and information we got during our trip and take it from there,” Layug added.
Paulino personally handed over to Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla a cheque amounting to P200 K.
Paulino and his team also traveled to the Municipality of Basey, Samar where he also handed a cheque amounting to P149,762 and some medical supplies to Mayor Junji Ponferrada.
The cash donations came from various sources in the city, P100 K from the local government of Olongapo, P157,700 from city employees, P79,537.25 from Kalye Kasiyahan which was organized by the lgu to energize its famous entertainment strip Magsaysay Drive, and P13,525.25 from donation boxes.
Paulino also visited the municipality of Palo and the volunteers from the city stationed at the Red Cross outpost at the Leyte Park Resort Hotel.
“I personally thanked our volunteers in Tacloban. They were there days after Yolanda struck and they were still there when we left. It only goes to show that it is in the blood of every Olongapeno to help others, I am very proud of them,” Paulino said.
The trip was timed before the Risk Reduction Management Plan that was organized by the DRRMO in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense Region 3, the city’s 17 barangay’s and the business sector.
Robin Carlo Eleponnga, OCDRRMO assistant Chief, Research and Planning Division said that “being successful in disaster risk reduction and management means doing your homework, being equipped to respond, operating swiftly while also being smart.”
The Olongapo City Rescue Team has been hailed as a hall of famer and has become the bench mark of many rescue groups around the country.
“All the suggestions, inputs from the Civil Defense, local government, businessmen and the national office are being taken into consideration, to develop something that we think would work in the city, “ Layug explained.