DAVAO CITY (September 20 )— President Rodrigo Duterte commends Isabela, Cagayan Valley for having no casualty after the Typhoon “Ompong”.
Duterte visited Ilagan, Isabela on Tuesday, September 18, to assess the damages but he was told the typhoon did not leave any casualty in the area.
To this, Duterte said “Well, I’d like to thank you for sharing this time with me. Not really a part of my itinerary. Kasi alam ko na na wala naman masyadong pinsala dito,” he told the members of his Cabinet as well as the local officials.
Isabela, compared to other provinces in the Cagayan Valley, suffered less damage after Typhoon ‘Ompong.’ But the calamity gravely damaged the province’s agricultural sector.
The zero casualty feat of Isabela after the typhoon reflects its commitment to achieve effective disaster preparedness, mitigation, and response.
Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III, revealed for three consecutive years, they were recognized as the Most Outstanding Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
In his speech, Duterte said “As a matter of fact, the zero casualty was a most welcome news to me. Buhay talaga ang una. Pumunta ako dito to congratulate the officials, the governor, vice governor, and everybody who were at the forefront, ready to face the onslaught. And I admire the preparation,” he added.
Philippines, according to Duterte, is geographically vulnerable to typhoons because we are located near the Western Pacific.
Given such situation, he said. hazard is inevitable and will always be part of the Filipinos’ lives. Therefore, as a nation, we should still be ready for it, and impart to the next generation the importance of disaster preparedness.
“We can never avoid the typhoons and storms that would come our way. I don’t know why God placed us here, but the fact is that typhoons and storms will be a part of our lives forever. That must be…pasok sa utak ng mga anak natin that they somehow have to improve on everything, whether infrastructure, build stronger bridges, more resilient shelters and everything,” the President said.
In said forum, Duterte reiterated his desire to build gym-type evacuation centers that could accommodate massive numbers of evacuees where comfort rooms for men and women are segregated.
By doing so, the typhoon-prone areas in the country will never have to rely heavily on public schools every time they are hit by a calamity and he wants it done before the end of his term in 2022.
Based on the assessment report of Governor Dy to the President, out of 141,000 hectares of farmlands, 2,866 hectares were fully damaged, while 82,000 hectares were partially devastated.
Also, 104,000 hectares of cornfield were damaged. Isabela is known as the number one producer of corn in the country.
More than 200,000 farmers in the province were affected by the typhoon. –Jian A. Padillo/NewsLine.ph
