PGMA reaches out to Eastern Samar flood victims

By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern Samar)
February 22, 2008

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  Despite the far distance, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through Governor Ben Evardone immediately deployed yesterday relief and rescue operation in severely flooded barangays of Eastern Samar province.

To dovetail with the President’s plan, Evardone’s team proceeded to the northern tip villages of Taft town where a few of their two-storey houses were submerged in water.

Barangays Binaloan, Lumatod, Burak, Mabuhay, San Pablo and San Rafael all of Taft  are all flooded, being situated along river banks, Evardone reported live directly from the site over Radyo ng Bayan DYES.  He stressed that a total of 1,019 family packs were all he had, adding that those were initial allocations from the President. He further appealed to the other victims of the province for their forbearance as relief and rescue operation may reach them in days because of the large number of victims to be reached upon.

“But we will be there soon, just bear with us,” Gov. Evardone announced. “We will do our level best to reach you out, specially that this is the wish of our President,” he added.

The report added that a family in barangay San Pablo, who lost their 12-year old daughter, Grace Ann Acude will be given assistance.

It was gathered, that the victim, together with another girl was gathering drinking water from a well across a stream. On their way home however, the river was already overflowing with rushing waters.  The survivor narrated that they had to got hold of a vine, but the strong current pushed her friend even harder to the middle of the river until she went out of her sight.