(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the immediate repair of the water system in Catanduanes which had been severely hit by super typhoon Rolly which had pummeled the province with Haiyan-like winds and rains on Sunday.
Duterte ordered the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to fix this water system in Catanduanes where “Rolly” (international name Goni) first made landfall on Sunday, Nov. 1.
“I’m directing LWUA to help. Go there and repair. Help repair the water system. Have it function — well, to function immediately,” President Duterte said during a situation briefing with other government officials in response to the disaster.
“Walang tubig ‘yung mga tao doon. So let it not be a thing just to be talking about. I want to know if there is somebody there already working on it,” he said.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Catanduanes has reported five deaths and four injuries. There are around 15,000 affected families, 10,000 totally damaged houses and 3,000 partially damaged.
The province still has no water supply and residents rely on deep wells. Electricity and telecommunication services are also down, according to OCD.
Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, the administrator of the OCD, said the province only has 8,000 family food packs available and it is requesting for additional food supply.
Catanduanes is also asking for GI sheets and immediate supply of potable water which Jalad said were to have been delivered by Tuesday, with the inclusion of bottled water to be delivered through Air Force’s C-130 flights. (with a report from PND)