DPWH-Bicol men leave for Samar, Tacloban City for clearing, restoration works By Mar S. Arguelles LEGAZPI CITY -- A 26-man engineering team of the Department of Public Works and Highways Bicol regional office left Sunday morning for Samar and Tacloban City to assist in clearing and restoration works in areas destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda on Friday, a DPWH Bicol official said. The team is composed of equipment operators, mechanics and laborers with seven dump trucks and a pay loader, according to Lucy Castaneda, DPWH Bicol spokesperson. Castaneda said by phone that the team left at 8:00 a,m, Sunday in convoy and would take a roll-on- roll-off sea vessel bound for Samar via Matnog port in Matnog, Sorsogon. She said that upon arrival in Catbalogan, Samar the team led by former Masbate District Engineer Elmer Redrico will break in two groups -- one will go to Guiuan town in Samar and the other will proceed to Tacloban City. Castaneda said Bicol’s engineering team sent to Samar and Tacloban City is in response to the directive of DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson to send available equipment and manpower to areas devastated by Yolanda. She said the team will report to the Engineering Task Force organized by the DPWH and assist in the clearing of roads and restoration works in Samar and Tacloban City. Castaneda said the team will stay and work in these areas until directed to return to the Legazpi City. As this developed, a second batch of the Team Albay-Office of Civil Defense 5 Humanitarian Mission left on at around 6:00 a.m. Sunday for Tacloban City via the Matnog-Catbalogan route. Rafael Bernardo Alejandro, OCD regional director, said the second batch is composed of technical personnel and forms part of the 179-man humanitarian team that left on Saturday night. The team, which composes the 11th mission and is considered as the biggest contingent sent on a mercy assistance task, will assist in the search and rescue, sanitation, medical assistance operations in areas devastated by the Yolanda, Alejandro said. It brought along a water purifying machine which is capable of producing thousands of liters of potable water for distribution to residents. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the mission is composed of personnel from the Albay Public Safety Emergency and Management Office, Provincial Social Welfare Office, Department of Health, Armed Forces of the Philippine, Bureau of Fire Protection and OCD. Salceda said the team is led by Dr. Nathaniel Rempillo, assistant provincial health officer. He said that aside from the humanitarian mission, Albay province will give financial assistance of P500,000 each to Tacloban City and Samar.
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 01:51:23 +0000
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