Duterte visits typhoon-hit southern Negros, pledges P2B each for affected provinces

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte personally inspected and visited the typhoon-stricken southern Negros Occidental four days after Typhoon Odette wreaked havoc and left casualties and damage in this part of the province.

Duterte led the ceremonial distribution of family food packs, repair kits, and hygiene kits, among others, after a briefing on the post-typhoon impacts in southern Negros.

The President, in his message, said he will give uniform financial assistance of P2 billion each to all affected provinces.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), according to Secretary Rolando Bautista, has already extended 10,300 family food packs to the province worth P5.7 million as of December 20.

One of the beneficiaries who received a family food pack from the President was Ma. Ramona Desusa, 44 years old with five children, who shared her harrowing experience the evening of December 16 at the height of Typhoon Odette.

Desusa, who is from Barangay Talubangi in Kabankalan City, said the muddy floodwater rose so quickly and the next thing they knew, it was already beyond a normal person’s height.

“Maayu lang kay naka evacuate akon kabataan sang temprano pa. Pero indi gid ni nakon malipatan (Good thing that my children evacuated earlier. But I will never forget this),” Desusa emotionally shared.

Desusa’s house was destroyed by two fallen trees aside from having been submerged in flood.

But she remains thankful for the attention that the administration is pouring into typhoon victims like her.

“Sa bilog ko nga kabuhi, subong lang ko ka eksperyensya sang sini klase nga bagyo kag sa bilog ko nga kabuhi subong lang man ko ka experyensya nga ang Presidente mismo ang madaho sa akon sang bulig (All my life, this is the first time that I experienced this kind of typhoon but, this is also the first time that I experienced receiving help from the President himself),” Desusa added. (With reports from PIA)