PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) — The Palawan Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) sends an initial 500 food packs to families affected by the flood caused by the shear line in Aborlan and prepares another 500 for locals in Narra.
PSWDO head Abigail Ablaña said that food packs were supposed to be delivered on Sunday, February 9, however, they postponed the delivery to ensure the safety of their team from a potential water rise along the road.
“Kailangan tayo ay proactive, meron tayong mga naka-preposition na goods. However, last year yong ibang mga munisipyo ay naubos na ‘yan kaya nga kahapon nagpasimula na tayo magkarga ng goods for Aborlan,” she said.
The team left Puerto Princesa to deliver the food packs before 8 A.M. on Feb. 10 and is now preparing another batch of food for the affected residents in Narra Town. PSWDO prioritizes not just evacuees but also locals who left their homes and temporarily transferred to their relatives and friends.
Each food pack contains six kilos of rice, coffee, energy drinks, and assorted canned goods. The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) assists the team, and their list determines the recipients.
As of 8 A.M. of Feb. 10, there are 457 affected families in Aborlan, 218 in Narra, 35 in Brooke’s Point, and 18 in Sofronio Española.
Aside from food packs, PSWDO may also extend psychological first aid to affected individuals to help them debrief after experiencing a flood. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office will identify further interventions once the assessment is complete.
The MSWDO and PSWDO are open to hearing suggestions from affected individuals on particular interventions that the provincial government could extend to them. PSWDO will also start to distribute the pre-positioned goods to other towns, particularly in island municipalities, as part of the annual preparation in times of calamity.
“Sapat ang ating pondo. In fact, ngayong Pebrero sana ang simula ng ating pagbibigay ng pre-positioning, pre-positioned goods, especially sa island communities natin. Nagsimula na tayo makipag-ugnayan, inaayos na nila ma-pickup ang pre-positioned goods,” she Ablaña.
Aside from Aborlan and Narra towns, the city of Puerto Princesa also experienced floods wherein different portions of the city were submerged in knee-to-waist-deep waters.
Puerto Princesa City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head Earl Timbancaya reported 60 active evacuation centers in the city.
The rivers in Inagawan and Luzviminda overflowed, while the Iwahig River reached a critical level as of 5 A.M. on Feb. 10. The other rivers, located in the northern barangays of the city, remain at normal levels. On Sunday night, there was a partial interruption in the electricity supply.
“Nagkaroon ng landslide sa old zigzag, sa taas at baba nagkaroon ng landslide na nagresulta sa pagiging unpassable nito. As of 7:45 ng umaga, passable na zigzag sa taas, ngayong umaga ay ongoing ang pagrestore ng passability sa babang portion,” he said.
Aside from the landslide, a big old acacia tree was also uprooted on Sunday night, resulting in an obstruction in the passageway and two vehicular accidents.
Various agencies continuously extend relief efforts to affected residents, including the Philippine Red Cross-Palawan Chapter, wherein volunteers and staff served families with hot meals since Sunday night. It also joined other agencies in rescuing stranded locals in some barangays.
The Philippine Red Cross also established a welfare desk at Manuel Austria Memorial Elementary School and Gregorio Oquendo Memorial School located in barangays San Manuel and Milagrosa to serve 365 individuals. It also requests both monetary and in-kind donations, including food supplies, hygiene kits, and houseware, to assist the affected individuals. (RG/PIA MIMAROPA-Palawan)
