Press Release
February 20, 2008

Red Cross responds to the flashfloods that have hit Eastern Samar

Eastern Samar - The Philippine National Red Cross Chairman and Senator Richard Gordon, has received reports from its Eastern Samar Chapter that 27, 414 families are affected by the continuous down pour of heavy rains.

Gordon said that 279 barangays out of 597 barangays within 23 municipalities in the province experience flooding when the rivers of Loom, Canobing, Camada and Surok overflowed. The PNRC provides services and relief goods to 248 families (1, 241) in two (2) evacuation centers since Friday, February 15, 2008, when the disaster first struck.

Likewise, the Leyte Region also experiences the flooding affecting 6, 530 families (32, 100 persons) within 5 municipalities of Leyte. The Leyte Chapter requests relief distribution to at least half of the affected families. They requested the release of 65 sacks NFA Rice and an initial cash advance of Php 20,000.00 for canned goods and other incidental expenses.

He also reported that some roads in Eastern Samar have been buried by landslides; the Mc Arthur Bridge that connects Mc Arthur Municipality to Borongan City and to the airport as well, collapsed. Due to these, the PNRC is experiencing delays in the deliveries of relief goods to Borongan and Tacloban Airport.

Gordon immediately sent a letter to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Edejer Ebdane, Jr. and to the Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro appealing for support to provide these affected areas with pay loaders in order to open up the stricken roads of Northern Borongan & Eastern Samar and "Engineering Units" for the immediate repair of the Mc Arthur Bridge.

The senator also ordered the PNRC National Headquarters (NHQ) in Manila to send psychosocial support and health team to assist the needs of the evacuees. The NHQ also sent a 3-man assessment team to look into further damages and to send more disaster management services and relief. One Million Pesos worth of relief goods for the urgent needs: health kits, clothing, general sets and food and non-food items were initially sent for 750 families targeting 5,000 more beneficiary families.

Tents and water bladders for potable water are being prepared for the necessary set-up. The Red Cross 143 volunteers (1 leader + 43 volunteers per barangay) are on stand by to provide assistance.

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