PGMA to visit flooded Eastern Samar barangays

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

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to visit Eastern Samar tomorrow, Saturday, to personally inspect the extent of damage wrought by massive flooding and attend to the pressing needs of the flood victims.

A reliable source said that the President will distribute cash assistance to the families of the 12 casualties of the flood here, aside from a number of bicycles she will distribute to the barangays of Gap-ang, Jicontol and Osmeña.

On her way to Dolores town, the President will have an aerial view of the flooded barangays which will be supplemented by two power point presentation that will follow later when she goes to the municipal hall where in waiting are the province’s officials, Dolores municipal employees, barangay officials, Dolores folks and the provincial media.

In his report today, Governor Ben Evardone said that he has himself went with some military officials who conducted ahead an aerial survey and true enough despite the fact that it did not pour today, still several barangays in upstream Dolores are dip in waters.

Evardone was saddened at the sight of the rice fields which are still soaked in flood.

“I believe we will decrease our Palay harvest this summer and the farmers must have lost several thousands of their agricultural investments to the flood,” Evardone said. “But, let us not weary,” he said and even quoted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her recent message before the Makati Business Club, when she said “let us face tomorrow confidently “.

Earlier in the PDCC meeting, to mitigate the problems of the farmers, the Governor committed to reduce the price of the Hand Tractors which DA-OPAS opens to farmers for loans.  Because of the current crisis, the tractors will now be reduced by 50% from its original P80,000.  Each unit now of the tractor will only cost P40,000 as the other half would be subsidized by the Provincial Government.