ALBAY SOLIDARITY MISSION GOES TO ISABELA

LEGAZPI CITY— Bringing along a team of paramedics, medicines, water purifying machine, a water tank lorry, and ambulances, the Albay Solidarity Mission on Sunday evening move out for Isabela province in Cagayan Valley to assist disaster authorities there in their relief efforts.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda on Sunday send off the 76-man disaster response team from Albay together a fleet composed of two Army trucks loaded with water purifying machine , medicines, a bus, three ambulances, a Communication vehicle and a water tank lorry.

Salceda in his send off message said “This is Albay’s response to Isabela crisis, it is our turn to help,” he pointed out.

Salceda said the solidarity mission is in line with President Benigno Aquino III call for bayanihan spirit in responding to disaster issues and making these areas resilient communities, the President even cited Albay’s best practices in responding to disaster .

According to Salceda the mission would stay in Isabela for two weeks and assist in relief operation in the form of health services, provision of water sanitation and hygiene to residents of Isabela .

The team along with WASH specialist (Water, Sanitation and Hygine) would operate the water purifying machine that can produce 33,000 liters per hour of potable water and with the water tank lorry it will distribute drinking water to various evacuation camps in Isabela.

The water purification system can provide the potable water needs of some 51,000 families affected by the flooding that hit the towns of Cabagan, Inagas and San Marcelino in Isabela province .

The solidarity response team are composed of paramedics and nurses from the Albay Health and Emergency Management (AHEM) a disaster emergency group organize by the province to respond in times of disasters and emergencies.

“Going to Isabela is one way of responding to our partners at the same way thanking that Bicol had been spared this year from any disaster ,” Salceda pointed out, as he cited other regions that assisted Albay when two super typhoons Milenyo and Reming hit Bicol in2006 where thousands of residents have died due to floods and mud flow and billions worth of public and private infrastructure were lost including agricultural crops and other products.

The province has also assisted in relief operation in 2008 when Typhoon Frank hit Iloilo province and in 2009 when Ondoy ravaged Metro Manila.

The team will also deliver P250,000 cash assistance to provincial government, a similar cash donation of P250,000 was given by Salceda on Friday to the Cagayan Governor who attended along with the 36 Governors in 56 provinces across the country the 3-day LGU Summit on Climate Change Adaptation +3 held here on Thursday.

Aside from the half a million in donation given to two provinces in Northern Luzon largely hit by flooding , the province has also spent some P3 million from its calamity funds for carrying out the solidarity mission.

Salceda said the funds that financed the mission represent only 10 percent of the P42 million calamity funds the province still has. Giving assistance to other areas is one way in using the calamity fund, “best use (CDF) and the best interest” for the development of Albay and in building partnership with other provinces.

He said supporting other provinces in need is a new disaster protocol designed to build an “Inter Local support mechanism in times of disaster.”

Salceda said that from the disaster protocol, the province would also learn new experiences in disaster operation this are: good practices, new skills, and solidarity. (LGU Albay/PIA/mal)