Relief operations in response to the onslaught of Typhoon Tino have been expanded to other towns in Leyte province, according to Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and the Tingog party-list, who announced this on Tuesday.
Romualdez, in a statement, said that Baybay City and Silago town in Southern Leyte have been included in the relief operations, as these are two of the hardest-hit areas in Eastern Visayas.
Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre and Romualdez said they directed the expansion of relief operations after reports from the state weather bureau that both Baybay City and Silago suffered severe damage from strong winds and heavy rains.
‘The people of Baybay and Silago have always shown resilience in the face of calamities. We want to make sure they get the immediate support they need to recover and rebuild after the storm,’ Romualdez said.
According to Acidre, a total of 3,750 kilograms of rice, 30 boxes of noodles, 10 boxes of biscuits, 10 boxes of coffee, 20 boxes of bottled water, and 30 boxes of canned goods were dispatched to Baybay City.
Silago, on the other hand, received 2,500 kilograms of rice, 20 boxes of noodles, 10 boxes of biscuits, 10 boxes of coffee, 20 boxes of bottled water, and 20 boxes of canned goods.
‘These relief goods are not just supplies-they represent our commitment to be there for every family affected by the typhoon,’ Acidre said. ‘We want our kababayans to know that they are not alone in this recovery.’
‘Our priority is to reach the farthest communities and make sure help arrives where it is most needed,’ he added.
On Monday night, Romualdez and Tingog announced that relief goods and rice have been prepositioned in Tacloban City and seven other Leyte towns, which may be affected by Typhoon Tino.
Relief stocks, Romualdez said, have been delivered to the towns of Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa, Sta. Fe, Alang-alang, San Miguel, and Babatngon as part of their preparations. Tingog said each municipality will receive noodles, sardines, biscuits, coffee, while the towns of Palo, Tanauan, Alang-alang, Tolosa, Sta. Fe, San Miguel, will also receive rice in addition to Babatngon.
Hot meals were also given to evacuees who arrived at various evacuation centers in Tacloban City on Monday afternoon.
Aside from the relief operations, Romualdez, Tingog, and Mayor Norman Sabdao also opened a ‘family-friendly evacuation hub’ in San Miguel, Leyte, which provides evacuees with dignity and comfort simultaneously.
According to Romualdez and Tingog, the San Miguel evacuation complex features amenities not typically found in temporary shelters – separate family rooms, breastfeeding corners, clean and comfortable restrooms, proper lighting, sleeping quarters, and storage for relief goods.
Acidre said that Sabdao has informed them that 549 families, or around 2,072 individuals, have taken refuge in the San Miguel evacuation centers following heavy rains brought by Tino.
‘We want our evacuees to feel safe, cared for, and treated humanely even in crisis,’ Acidre said.
‘This is more than an evacuation site – it’s a home in times of need,’ he added.
Romualdez said that the evacuation hub was conceptualized as part of the lessons learned from Super Typhoon Yolanda’s impact on Eastern Visayas, particularly Leyte and Tacloban, in November 2013.
‘Our aim is simple – every Filipino family must have a safe and decent place to stay when disaster strikes,’ Romualdez said.
‘We built the evacuation center to protect lives and restore dignity – that’s the essence of true preparedness,’ Acidre added.
Latest updates from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration showed that Tino was last seen in the vicinity of Patnongon, Antique, moving northwestward at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour (kph).
It has slightly weakened, now packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kph near the center, and gustiness of up to 180 kph. However, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 is still raised over the following areas:
Calamian and Cuyo Islands
central and southern portions of Antique (Patnongon, Sibalom, Valderrama, Hamtic, San Jose, Bugasong, Anini-Y, San Remigio, Belison, Tobias Fornier, Laua-An)
central and southern portions of Iloilo (Calinog, New Lucena, Maasin, Oton, Pavia, Dueñas, Barotac Nuevo, Guimbal,
Iloilo City, Tigbauan, San Miguel, Leon, Mina, Santa Barbara, Leganes, Dingle, Zarraga, Bingawan, Cabatuan, Alimodian, Dumangas, San Joaquin, Badiangan, Pototan, Lambunao, Tubungan, Igbaras, Janiuay, Miagao)