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President Rodrigo Duterte (right) stands with Senator Christopher Go during an aerial survey of the areas affected by Super Typhoon Rolly. (Photo courtesy of Senator Christopher Go)
MANILA, Philippines – Two Villafuertes in government seek the help of President Rodrigo Duterte as their home province of Camarines Sur was devastated by Super Typhoon Rolly over the weekend.
In a statement Monday, LRay Villafuerte, a deputy from Camarines Sur’s 2nd district, and his son, Governor Miguel Luis Villafuerte, said they need immediate assistance for some 80,000 families severely affected by Rolly.
Instead of hitting Aurora and north of Quezon as previously predicted, Rolly pounced on the Bicol region and hit several areas, notably Camarines Sur, Albay and Catanduanes. This occurred a week after Typhoon Quinta skimmed the same region before reaching southern Luzon.
“We are asking for immediate help from the president for the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Rolly, in particular for the 80,000 most severely affected families in the province’s 1,036 barangays, many of whom have partially or totally lost their homes to this category extremely powerful. 5 ‘cyclone that hit Bicol a week after the onslaught of super typhoon Quinta ”, said the mayor of Villafuerte.
“We need immediate help from DSWD [Department of Social Welfare and Development] and the NHA [National Housing Authority] for the people of CamSur who are now recovering from the triple hit of super typhoons Rolly and Quinta and the persistent coronavirus pandemic, ”he added.
Previously, the provincial council passed a resolution that placed the entire province in a state of calamity, allowing it to tap into its calamity funds.
The Bicol region was hit by Rolly with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour, breaking the Philippines super typhoon category.
Governor Villafuerte has also written a letter to Duterte asking for financial help for the most affected families, particularly those in the agricultural sector, such as rice farmers.
In the letter, the young Villafuerte asked if there were funds available from DSWD and other sources of funds available for his proposed cash assistance ranging from P3,000 to P5,000, which would be delivered to each of the 80,000 severely affected families.
“We also seek the help of the NHA through its Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) for many of our people whose homes have been totally or partially destroyed,” said the governor.
“The province of CamSur has always supported the efforts of our national government, including that of preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the country. It is the only province in the entire Bicol region with an isolation center and continues to provide free tests to selected people, ”he added.
In total, around 251,000 families or 1,025,770 people in the province’s 1,036 barangays were affected by Rolly, according to the Camarines Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Management and Reduction Council (PDRRMC).
An estimated P752 million in palay, corn and high-value crops from 24,458 farmers were destroyed, while the livelihoods of 34,350 fishermen were put in jeopardy after P13.3 million in municipal and inland fish stocks were damaged.
Damage to infrastructure in the province (roads, bridges, dams, irrigation systems, and other public structures) was estimated at P1.9 billion.
The Villafuertes noted that Camarines Sur was still recovering from the effects of Quinta, which damaged an estimated 4,400 hectares of rice farms valued at P225 million.
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