CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro (PIA) — More than ₱39 million worth of relief assistance was provided by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) MIMAROPA to affected Mindoreños in response to the oil spill incident in 2023.
According to Marc Rembrandt P. Victore, officer in charge of the disaster risk reduction and management division (DRRMD) of the OCD MIMAROPA, the provision included food and non-food items such as food packs, school supplies, hygiene kits and medical supplies.
“From the regional DRRM [disaster risk reduction and management] councils may mga naibigay po na tulong tulad nga po ng mga food items, and non-food items pati na rin po yung donations po nung iba pa nating mga leaders from the national level,” Victore said.
He added that “…para naman po sa mga naapektuhan na mga mangingisda, yung mga livelihood interventions nila tulad ng mga fuel subsidy sa mga mangingisda para po maipagpatuloy nila once na na-lift na po yung fishing ban.”
OCD also provided technical assistance, augmentation to the local emergency operations center, and support to the deployment of the Incident Management Teams (IMT), rapid assessment teams, and other disaster response personnel.
Moreover, Victore said that they have worked to restore the affected communities and ensured that all actions are aligned with the National Recovery Plans.
“Through the conduct of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the formulation of the recovery plans outlines the strategies and actions needed to restore infrastructure to livelihoods and services in affected areas,” said in a presentation of the OCD MIMAROPA.
Victore also said that the recovery plans incorporate the Build Back Better principle aiming to enhance resilience against future disasters.
He added that their program is not only completed in providing immediate assistance, but to ensure that the lives of those who have been affected, especially the fisherfolk, continues.
“It’s not enough na matugunan lang po natin yung sakuna dapat masustain din natin through sustainable development, ma i-continue natin yung pamumuhay so hindi lang po natatapos yung ating programa sa pagbibigay ng kaagarang tulong but to ensure na tuloy yung pamumuhay ng mga naapektuhan po na mga mamamayan partikular na yung mga mangingisda,” Victore said. (ALG/PIA MIMAROPA)
