Vice President Leni Robredo returned to Dinagat Islands on Tuesday, December 28, to bring more relief assistance to the residents and assure them and their local officials of continued help as they start rebuilding their lives after super typhoon “Odette” leveled the entire province when it slammed into the Visayas and Mindanao two weeks ago.
In a Facebook post, VP Leni shared that the situation in the area was "still very bad." She personally checked on the situation in Dinagat Islands on December 19 and saw the devastation brought by the typhoon, said to be one of the strongest in 2021.
VP Leni, together with Governor Kaka Bag-ao, went to visit the Dinagat Islands Command Center and the communities hit-hard by “Odette”. The Vice President said that Governor Kaka briefed their team on the extent of damages in the island and discussed what kind of help the people of Dinagat Islands still need.
"Donations started pouring in, mostly from private and development organizations. There were also some from LGUs. The province has been prepositioning them well," VP Leni said in her post. "But because the entire province was badly hit, they would need more in the long term."
Families living in coastal areas and danger zones lost their entire houses to the typhoon, and have been staying in evacuation centers since Odette ravaged their province on December 16.
The local government of Dinagat has already set aside five hectares of land for the permanent relocation of these families living in danger zones, and the Office of the Vice President has committed to partnering with the Dinagat LGU to put up another Angat Buhay Village.
VP Leni also requested to visit the home of Gov. Kaka, who shared her own harrowing experience at the height of the typhoon. (Photos by OVP)