Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella waves to the BRB Batak 299, which is carrying relief goods from Cebu City to the typhoon-stricken island province of Catanduanes. The ship left Cebu on Friday morning, November 13, 2020. CDN Digital photo | Delta Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City’s aid to the typhoon-stricken island province of Catanduanes is on its way.
60 personnel along with relief goods and financial aid were sent off on board BRP Batak 299, which departed the Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN) in Lapu-Lapu City on Friday morning, November 13, 2020.
The personnel who are part of the relief operation are composed of a medical emergency team, an engineering team, and social services personnel.
Councilor David Tumulak will be leading the team and will facilitate the handover of the P5 million from the Cebu City government and P97,000 cash donations from city residents.
The ship is also carrying 500 sacks of rice, 25,000 canned sardines, hygiene kits, bottles of water, relief goods, and other logistic items needed for relief operations.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella personally sent off the team and ordered them to provide as much assistance as they can to the island province in the Bicol region which was hit by three typhoons in as many weeks.
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“If there are still donations, we will still be accepting them, but we will be sending there by other means. Not necessarily by Navy boat, unless the donations are in bulk,” said the mayor.
Labella added that the city will also look into helping other provinces affected by the typhoons.
“We are also suffering through the pandemic, but we have seen a slight recovery in the economy. We can help as much as we can,” he added.
Comodore David Legaspi, the commander of the Navforcen, said they are ready to respond to any calamity and deliver assistance to any areas especially in the Visayas.
Legaspi added that they are also willing to deliver more relief goods from Central Visayas to Luzon.
BRB Batak 299 is expected to arrive in the town of Virac on Saturday morning.
/bmjo