Tue | Sep 18, 2018 | 2:45 PM

A day after Typhoon Ompong ravaged Northern Luzon, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) immediately deployed its relief operations teams to provide aid to affected areas.

PAGCOR sent teams to the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Benguet for the distribution of relief goods to affected locals.

The agency initially allocated P5 million for the purchase of 10,000 relief packs which contained basic grocery items like rice, canned goods, coffee and potable water.

Both Benguet and the Ilocos region were placed under state of calamity after Typhoon Ompong badly hit these areas. Local authorities reported that at least 54 people from the Cordillera Region alone died while 49 were missing as of September 17, 2018. Most of these fatalities were reportedly caused by landslides in the mountainous areas.

Jimmy Bondoc, PAGCOR’s Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility Group said aside from the distribution of relief goods, “the agency is also planning to provide financial assistance to families with fatalities.”

He added that PAGCOR will also reach out to Cagayan province – which was in the direct path of Typhoon Ompong. The area, however, is still impassable as the typhoon ruined the province’s power lines, houses and crops that will soon be ready for harvest.

PAGCOR’s teams are closely coordinating with local authorities and other national government agencies to further identify the areas that need immediate attention and hasten the delivery of aid.

In its initial report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that around 250,036 people or 63,769 families were affected by Typhoon Ompong. “Of this number, a total of 148,283 persons or 37,910 families were from Regions I, II, III, National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Cordillera Administrative Region,” NDRRMC stated.

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