Mon | 01.14.2019 | 9:00 AM

Residents of Sagñay, Camarines Sur receive relief packs from the PAGCOR after their town and the rest of the Bicol region were ravaged recently by Tropical Depression Usman. The region was declared under state of calamity with nearly 200,000 families affected.

Over 500 locals from Albay and Camarines Sur in Bicol region received financial aid, relief goods, and medicines from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), immediately after the onslaught of tropical depression Usman.

PAGCOR allotted a total of P3 million financial assistance to calamity victims from the towns of Sagñay, Buhi and Baao in Camarines Sur; and Tiwi, Legazpi and Libon in Albay during the agency’s relief operations in Bicol from January 4 to 6, 2019.

Tropical depression Usman triggered massive landslides and flooding across the Bicol region on December 29, 2018. It also affected nearly 200,000 locals. As reported by the National Risk Reduction Council, the death toll of tropical depression Usman has reached more than 100 with dozens missing and many more injured. The fatalities are from Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

Thirty-five-year-old housewife Charilyn Gonzales, a local of Baragay Patitinan, Camarines Sur survived the landslides with minor injuries but lost her home and three children.

“Kumakain po kami ng hapunan, biglang lumakas ang ulan. Maya-maya bigla nalang bumagsak ang lupa sa bahay namin, natabunan na po kami ng mga anak ko,” Gonzales recounted. Three of her children, Sherilyn, 13; John Ivan, 6; and Sir Lord, 4, were killed in the landslide.

“Parang panaginip lang lahat. Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na wala na ang mga anak ko. Birthday sana ni Sherilyn sa January 6,” Gonzales tearfully said.

Gonzales was among the recipients of the relief aid from PAGCOR. Apart from food and medicines, families of the casualties like Gonzales also received P20,000 to P80,000 financial assistance from the agency.

PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim, who led the relief operations, said that the agency’s disaster response team is reaching out to as many disaster victims as they can.

“Most of these people lost so much and no amount of assistance could replace what they lost. This is the least we could do for them to at least help them recover from the tragedy. Rest assured, we will do whatever we can to assist them,” Lim said.

Meanwhile, PAGCOR continues to reach out to typhoon-struck communities in Eastern Visayas by delivering relief packs containing food items to 3,000 affected residents of Catarman and Lope de Vega in Northern Samar.

The said towns became isolated for a few days after heavy rains spawned by typhoon Usman caused floods and landslides and shut down electricity and water facilities.

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