Jinggoy visits Ormoc for a relief mission

Just hours upon his return to the country, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada immediately boarded a flight to the province of Leyte to personally bring relief goods for the affected victims of supertyphoon Yolanda.

It can be recalled that Sen. Estrada left for the United States last November 2 for a scheduled appointment with the doctors to seek a second opinion on the medical condition of his wife Precy.

The senator arrived at dawn last Sunday November 17 with his wife, son Julian and youngest daughter Jill and made good on his pronouncement that he will return to the country before the resumption of the Senate session on November 18.

Sen. Estrada distributed more than 2,500 relief bags containing rice, canned goods, biscuits, and drinking water to the residents of the coastal and largest city in Leyte. Sen. Estrada also brought boxes of medicines (children's vitamins, paracetamol, antibiotics, among others) and sacks of clothes and slippers.

Jinggoy was assisted by Leyte 4th District Congresswoman Lucy Torres Gomez.

The relief mission was conducted in the gymnasium of Brgy. San Pablo, Simangan, Ormoc City which was stripped bare to its concrete foundations and iron trusses by the strong winds during the onslaught of the typhoon.

Jinggoy who was saddened by the sight of the condition of the victims and massive devastation caused by one of the strongest typhoons to ever hit the country, tried to lift the spirits of the affected residents by saying a short message, "Puwede pa po tayong ngumiti. Habang may buhay, may pag-asa."

He also relayed that he will deliver more assistance, in form of food supplies and roofing materials, in the coming days in coordination with Cong. Torres-Gomez.

The surrounding buildings, including the residential houses, barangay multi-purpose hall, community learning center and church, were either severely damaged or totally destroyed. The road to the site of the relief mission was passable and already cleared of debris, albeit the side streets were still littered with uprooted trees, fallen electric posts and garbage.

They were also joined by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 31 still unidentified casualties for Ormoc City. The entire province of Leyte, the worst-hit area of the recent supertyphoon, recorded a total of 3,310 casualties.

Moreover, Yolanda affected all of 110 barangays of Ormoc City and more than 191,000 individuals. Next to the capital city of Tacloban, Ormoc City registered the highest number of affected families in the province of Leyte.

NDRRMC also reports that as November 19, the cost of damages to infrastructure and high value agriculture crops brought by the supertyphoon in Leyte alone was 2.665 billion pesos.

Jinggoy also pledged to maintain communication lines open with the officials of the local government to coordinate his relief and rehabilitation efforts for the province, as he promised to work hand in hand with the local government units of Ormoc City and other areas severely affected by the typhoon in rebuilding their community.