THE UniTeam tandem of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Inday Sara Duterte brought their typhoon relief to Odette’s victims in Dinagat Islands, Palawan, Liloan and Lapu-Lapu City just before the year ended.
The tandem first went to Dinagat Islands where they were welcomed by Lone District Congressman Alan Ecleo and several officials.
The typhoon-hit island received 2,500 sacks of rice, thousands of slippers and 10 sets of bucket water filter to provide clean water to affected communities.
A P1-M financial aid for the constituents of Dinagat Island was also given to Congressman Ecleo and another P1-M for Governor Arlene ‘Kaka’ Bag-ao.
In behalf of Bag-ao, a Liberal Party (LP) leader and a former three-term Akbayan party-list congresswoman, Provincial Administrator Dr. Aimee A. Jimeno received the P1 million in financial assistance and 1,000 sacks of rice from the UniTeam Alliance for the affected residents of Dinagat Islands at the provincial capitol.
House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez, Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) president and a former colleague of Bag-ao in the House of Representatives noted, “As Bongbong Marcos and Inday Sara have been saying for a long time, our team is always for unity. No political color, especially in this very difficult time.”
The BBM-Sara tandem visited next Puerto Princesa, Palawan and were welcomed by Governor Jose Alvarez and seven town mayors. The governor also gave them a disaster situational report.
Alvarez received P3-M financial aid from them and 3,000 sacks of rice and thousands of slippers for affected families.
The duo then proceeded to Liloan town and Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu.
Liloan through Mayor Cristina Frasco received P1-million financial assistance and 3,000 sacks of rice and more than a thousand of slippers from the BBM-Sara UniTeam.
Meanwhile, Lapu-Lapu City received 2,000 sacks of rice, and a set of Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration with a pressure supply unit that they can use to have clean drinking water.
Lapu-Lapu lone district Rep. Paz Radaza also received P1-M financial aid for her constituents.
Surigao, too
Earlier, On Wednesday, political rivals Surigao del Norte Reps. Robert Ace Barbers (2nd District) and Francisco Jose II “Bingo” F. Matugas (1st District) set aside party lines to welcome Marcos and Duterte who delivered P1.5 million in financial aid and 3,000 sacks of rice for the province.
Barbers initiated a fist bump with Matugas who gamely responded.
Former Surigao del Norte Gov. Lyndon Barbers, brother of Ace Barbers, is running for governor against the father of Bingo Matugas, incumbent Gov. Francisco Matugas.
In the same event where President Duterte turned over P1 million in financial aid and 1,000 sacks of rice to Barbers for Odette victims in Siargao Airport, Marcos handed over to Gen. Luna, Siargao Mayor Cecilia L. Rusillon P500,000 in financial aid and 2,000 sacks of rice for victims.
The UniTeam donated one portable solar panel system and one bucket water filter system for the local leaders of Surigao del Norte.
It was the second tranche of assistance delivered by UniTeam to Surigao del Norte.
The UniTeam also visited Negros Oriental on Wednesday to send P2 million and 2,000 sacks of rice to reelectionist Gov. Roel Degamo in Dumaguete City.
The camp of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves through Bayawan City Mayor Henry Pryde Teves, who is running for governor, received P1 million in financial assistance and 1,000 sacks of rice from UniTeam in Bacong, Negros Oriental.
Maintenance meds
Meanwhile, as BBM- Sara UniTeam continues to extend more aid by January, Bongbong will also look into the possibility of providing maintenance medicine for senior citizens in affected areas as he starts to seek help from his friends in the private sector.
“There is one item: I don’t know if you also have this problem here, but in other areas their problem is sourcing the maintenance medicines of people, especially senior (citizens); but seriously, when I get back to Manila I will make calls and start looking–in Mercury Drug, Unilab, whatever we can source we will promptly bring to those in need,” he said, partly in Filipino.
Bongbong clarified that the help being extended by the BBM-Sara UniTeam is an additional support they provide to the areas and provinces that have yet to receive assistance from the government.
“The help continues; we continue to source relief to augment the national government effort. We just provide augmentation for those who cannot be reached by the national government,” he stressed.
“We always pray that you can recover from the devastation of typhoon Odette and we wish you a blessed celebration of the incoming new year,” Sara said.
“[Typhoon] Odette is really powerful, it destroyed many things. But don’t lose heart; we are here for you,” Marcos assured the affected communities.