PASAY CITY -- As damage to property and number of casualties continue to climb days after Typhoon Odette struck Visayas and Mindanao, Senator Win Gatchalian flies to the calamity-stricken areas today, December 21, to extend assistance and to personally assess the situation in the devastated areas.

“Sa tindi at lawak ng pinsalang iniwan ng bagyong Odette, kailangang pagtulungan natin ang pagbibigay ng ayuda sa mga apektadong pamilya, maging sa mga lokal na pamahalaan. Makakatulong itong maibsan ang mga alalahanin nila sa kasalukuyan,” the senator said.

The Senate Economic Affairs Committee Vice Chairperson is set to visit Southern Leyte, Bohol, and Surigao del Norte until December 23 to distribute aid.

The senator brings with him P26 million assistance in the form of cash and in kind from Valenzuela City, the senator’s hometown. He will personally hand over the assistance to the local officials. The senator will be joined by Valenzuela Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja.

The Valenzuela City Council passed a resolution on Monday, December 20, authorizing Mayor Rex Gatchalian to release the said assistance from the quick response fund (QRF) of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) to Southern Leyte, Bohol, Surigao del Norte, Cebu, and Dinagat islands.   

The senator will also donate sacks of rice to the local government units of the said affected areas.

Gatchalian is likewise set to make rounds in various evacuation centers to ascertain how the national government can step up the relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The Senate Energy Committee Chairperson has earlier urged the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to immediately tap the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund (ECERF) in order to provide relief to electric cooperatives affected by Typhoon Odette and assure that there will be electricity in affected areas come Christmas.

“Hindi natatapos sa pagbibigay ng pang madaliang ayuda ang ating pagtulong sa mga biktima ng nagdaang bagyo. Sisiguraduhin

 natin na mabibigyan din sila ng pang matagalang tulong upang maging mas masaya ang kanilang pasko hindi lang ngayong taon, kundi sa mga darating pa,” he said. (OSWG)