#DSWD Team Salvador

[rinoaangel-blog]

Barangay 432 Zone 44: DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

Rinoa Angel I. Linchangco C-AB-3 Module 4

As a requirement for our NSTP subject, we had to interview one of the barangay officials in our community regarding the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, individually. With that being said, I have visited the barangay office in our community which is located at Barangay 432 District 44 in Sampaloc, Manila last November 29, 2019.

It was all very new to me considering that although I have been staying in our community for the past 7 years now, that was the first time I ever went to the barangay hall and talk to a barangay official.

(Top photo) Me with Chairman Ramil R. Barrientos after conducting the BDRRM Kwentuhan.

(Top photo) Barangay office of Barangay 432-Zone 44. 

Before the DRRM kwentuhan, I walked the streets of our barangay with the hazardous places, safest places, and best practices in mind and my assessment is that my community is in some way a nice place, however certain aspects of it are in dire need of improvement and redevelopment.

For the kwentuhan proper, I have interviewed Chairman Ramil Barrientos of Barangay 432, he has given 16 years of service for the community. And during the discussion, he has pinpointed the Hazards Identification; Vulnerability, Elements, and People at Risk Assessment; and Capacity and Disaster Management Assessment.

Hazardous Places

(Top photo) Maisan area wherein houses are made of low-cost materials, they were also affected by the fire rapture last June 2019.

(Top photo) Maisan area, remains of the things caught on fire last June 2019.

(Top photo) Maisan area, remains of the things caught on fire last June 2019.

(Top photo) Looban area where houses are glued to each other from hundreds and hundreds of houses with narrow pathways, difficult to walk or run to in case of emergency. 

Safest Spaces

(Top photo) One of the schools to be made as an evacuation center in times of calamities such as fire and flood: Trinidad Tecson Elementary School

(Top photo) One of the schools to be made as an evacuation center in times of calamities such as fire and flood: General Licerio Geronimo Elementary School

(Top photo) One of the schools to be made as an evacuation center in times of calamities such as fire and flood: Moises Salvador Elementary School

(Top photo) One of the schools to be made as an evacuation center in times of calamities such as earthquake: University of Santo Tomas

Best Practices

(Top photo) The barangay recycles water bottles.

Hazard Identification

The calamities that impacted my community are the tornado which happened many years ago and the help that the barangay gave to the people are materials that are sustainable for the reconstruction of their houses, the second one is the flood which happened in 2012/2013 in which they have assigned 3 schools as evacuation centers namely Trinidad Tecson Elementary School, General Licerio Geronimo Elementary School, and Moises Salvador Elementary School. Lastly, as for the fire rapture happened in June 2019, many people were affected by it especially the ones settling in illegal areas. The help that the barangay delivered is the giving of the relief goods, they also reached out to the DSWD to help them receive construction materials. The barangay is alerted by emergency texts, constituents, people, social media, calls from the higher authority in times of calamities, natural or man-made.

Vulnerability, Elements and People at Risk Assessment

There are 2 areas that are prone or in a hazardous place that will be greatly affected in times of disasters or calamities, (1) it is the "Maisan" where people sell corns of different sorts of cooking and the area is also made up of low-cost houses and it is where people dump their trash. They use old woods that is why if one of it is sparked then all of it will be affected. (2) is the "Looban" a place with very narrow pathways in which houses are literally glued to each other wherein if a fire will obstruct the place then all of it will be affected. Most of what the causes are from electrical failure, candles, and illegal connections of wire and electricity. Aside from natural and man-made disasters, drugs are one of the contributing factors as to why the community is not extending or improving much of its resources, sources, and the general development of the community. The second one is the informal settlers’ area as stated by Chairman Ramil because there is still an obstruction of cleanliness, noise, and place pollution that are yet being manifested by it. However, the barangay is doing their utmost to help prevent the problems because Chairman Ramil assured to me their intention for the community is to keep everyone safe and guided.

Capacity and Disaster Management Assessment

The preparations by the community is well intact as the barangay has organized it in an easy yet informative way. The barangay conducts seminars regarding the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. In which Chairman Ramil told me that the MDRRM will conduct a DRRMC training on December 2 to 6 of 2019. The barangay also has a "batingting" which is used to hit a large material which would then produce a sound that will be heard by the area within range. They also have the Public Address where an announcement will be heard. They also have the two-way radio, two boats, and a generator. The people involved in the entire body of protecting the people are none other than Chairman Ramil as the head, a committee composed of 2 kagawads (Kagawad Kevin Posadas and Kagawad Gary Astillas), the remaining council are all members from tanods, police, to the NGOs. During the practices or the disaster proper, the barangay is in partnership with the Ospital ng Sampaloc and the Fire Station along Fajardo.

(Top photo) Maisan

(Top photo) Maisan

(Top photo) Looban

REFLECTION, SYNTHESIS AND ANALYSIS

The number one issue confronting the community is poverty, half of the people that are covered by my barangay are with lesser privilege, most of them lack basic necessities for their everyday lives and their houses are made of low-cost materials and are situated among hundreds of houses in narrow pathways which are prone to calamities and sudden disasters, all of these were confirmed by Chairman Ramil and he stated that he puts their safety at best however the people should also follow the right rules and discipline. These things are happening in the community because there is a lack of proper urban planning not only within the community but an address for a nation-wide development. And also Chairman Ramil admitted that the community does not have a great number of resources, that I think are the reasons why the issues or problems are prevalent in my community but on a positive note, the barangay has many connections in case of emergency as it is located within range of a hospital, fire station, and the University of Santo Tomas which should be of use in times of earthquakes as it is may be an evacuation area.

The possible solutions that the local government should do to address the issues or problems is to hear the people's needs not by how the LGUs perceive and observe their needs but they should be able to hear their stories and develop a sense of camaraderie that will establish a good communication between the two groups.

People should be disciplined however it is also our duty to take responsibility on the things that we will do that will affect our society. Establishing a good relationship with one another may help or may be beneficial when a disaster comes. An example of this would be the just last November 14, 2019 there was a flooding happened in Cagayan, Tuguegarao City it incurred P1.13 billion worth of damages and there were death casualties and missing people as well. However, the provincial government handling the situation is currently exploring all means to make amends and tend the families affected and the recovery of the damages into well normal situations. There was a storm amount of efforts from different organizations, agencies, and rescue groups during the week long flooding. Donations were received by the people affected and also there are police teams that are conducting search and rescue operations, ensuring the public’s safety.

After the kwentuhan and the community walk I have realized that we are still halfway from achieving a sustainable environment that would be disaster-ready because there are still some hindrances among the small communities which may affect the larger body of the national scale. However, I am lucky enough to be in a community that has barangay officials that always put the people as top priority. They are not always perfect when they deliver a project but they commit to it and allot a space for improvement. I have learned that we are not all in the same phase of growth in the community, some may need more time, others do not. But we should not let this become a divide when it comes to natural and man-made disasters because each of us has a role to one another and we should be able to commit to that responsibility as we are people for the people.  

We need to address the issue of disasters in our country because we need our home and the Philippines for most of us consider it as a sense of identity and without our country, we would not be able to exemplify and manifest our achievements and goals for it. We should also take into consideration as to why we need to address it, it is because we are the ones affected by it first-hand. We can address the issues by being responsible and always alert at all costs because we never know when is the time another calamity will hit the grounds again. We should be able to be updated and keep people updated about the disasters amidst the proliferation of social media.

As a member of this community and nation, I am with the extension of having to impose and be in strict guidance when it comes to helping people as well as the production that it takes before a calamity hits because I believe that we are never always ready for a disaster, materialistically to come but we need to be ready mentally and physically to endure it. That is why a concrete example of addressing the vulnerabilities is that each barangay is required to have a good way of communication between near barangays, they should have a good line of communication. Second is that I will develop a life planning in which the marginalized people in my area or in other areas would be considered and would not be ignored regarding the disaster risk reduction and management.

The ACTIONS that I will take to INCREASE the capacities of my community/country is to simply have a better dialogue with the people living in my area because having a sense of togetherness or belonging we can have a better line of communication in which people may be able to be of advantage in times of disaster or calamity. I will also have to require each family or each house to be able to stack foods, resources, and basic necessities because having these may extend and become helpful.

By and large, the encounter with my barangay and the community walk made me realize that we need to take care of each other regardless of our income, gender, and/or privilege because at the end of the day we are all humans and that we speak the same language even in times of destruction and calamities.

Reference:  

Baccay, Oliver T. “Flooding in Cagayan Towns Leaves 4 Deaths, P1.13-B Damages.” Relief Web, 14 Nov. 2019, https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/flooding-cagayan-towns-leaves-4-deaths-p113-b-damages.

[phgq]

395 Filipino deportees to arrive in Zambo City July 4

#PHnews: 395 Filipino deportees to arrive in Zambo City July 4

ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that the first batch of deportees, consisting of 395 Filipinos, is set to arrive in the country on Saturday through this city from Malaysia, via Sandakan City in Sabah. Ivan Eric Salvador, DSWD 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) information officer, said Thursday that preparations are in place to receive the Filipino deportees. In total, the Malaysian government is set to send home 5,300 Filipinos who were allegedly staying in that country illegally. Salvador said of the 395 deportees, 318 are residents of Tawi-Tawi, 26 of Sulu, 11 of Basilan, four of other regions, and 36 of other provinces in the region. However, he said the 318 Tawi-Tawians would disembark at the port of Bongao, the provincial capital town, and would be provided with food and hygiene kits. Salvador said the deportees would be accompanied by a team of the International Humanitarian Assistance, composed of personnel of the DSWD, Department of Health, and Bureau of Quarantine, as well as representatives of the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. They will be ferried by a commercial vessel, the M/V Antonia, which plies the Zamboanga-Malaysia route via the city of Sandakan. Those from this city and nearby provinces will be ferried home by their respective local government units upon arrival at the local port, he said. Deportees from other regions of the country will be temporarily housed at the DSWD Processing Center for Displaced Persons in Barangay Talon-Talon here until their return to their respective destinations, Salvador said, adding that the deportees were subjected to real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test before boarding the vessel to ensure they are not carriers of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "395 Filipino deportees to arrive in Zambo City July 4." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1107797 (accessed July 03, 2020 at 03:07AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "395 Filipino deportees to arrive in Zambo City July 4." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1107797 (archived).

[cnihayaaqo]

Me and my co-workers. :)

[phgq]

Mass transport suspended under enhanced community quarantine

#PHnews: Mass transport suspended under enhanced community quarantine

MANILA – All mass transport systems will be suspended under the Luzon-wide “enhanced community quarantine” (ECQ) from March 17 to April 12 to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak.

President Rodrigo Duterte decided to place Luzon under an enhanced community quarantine following reports that commuters continue to face long lines and crowds to get to their respective workplaces, defeating the purpose of the prescribed social distancing.

In a press conference in Malacañang on Monday evening, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the suspension would include all forms of mass transportations such as public utility buses, jeeps, taxis, transport network vehicle services, among others.

Aside from the ban on public transportation, land, air, and sea travel will also be restricted while the movement of cargoes over the entire Luzon would continue unhampered.

“The idea is to keep everybody in home quarantine. Mindset should be, in case of doubt, stay at home,” Nograles said.

For outbound international passengers traveling from Luzon, he said they will be allowed to leave the country within 72 hours from the start of the enhanced quarantine.

“Those who want to leave will leave within that period. We assume that after 72 hours, it is your decision to stay here,” Nograles said.

Under the memorandum signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday, enhanced community quarantine means that the public will have to strictly remain indoors unless they need to access basic necessities.

There will be a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for everyone except health workers, peace and order officers, call center agents with valid IDs, media personnel, and local government officers will be exempted from the quarantine.

Malls will be closed, but private establishments providing basic necessities and such activities related to food and medicine production, banks, money transfer services, power, energy, water and telecommunications supplies and facilities, will be allowed to remain open provided they maintain strict social distancing measures.

Restaurants are only allowed to provide take-out services and will not be allowed to accept dine-in customers.

Since mass transport will be suspended, respective local governments will provide transport services to health workers without private vehicles.

The absence of jeeps, buses, trains is expected to minimize the risk of contracting and spreading the highly-infectious disease.

Land, air and sea travel will also be restricted, except travel of uniformed personnel for official business, especially those transporting medical supplies, laboratory specimens related to the Covid-19, and other humanitarian assistance.

Inbound international passengers, in transit upon effectivity of the ECQ, will be allowed entry, subject to applicable quarantine procedures if coming from countries with existing travel restrictions imposed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases team.

However, all inbound Filipino citizens including their foreign spouse and children, if any, holders of Permanent Resident Visa, and holders of 9(e) Diplomat Visas issued by the Philippine Government will be allowed entry, subject to applicable quarantine procedures if coming from countries with existing travel restrictions imposed by the IATF.

Meanwhile, the movement of cargoes within, to and from the entire Luzon will be unhampered.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will be tasked to formulate guidelines for the accompanying crew or personnel of transiting cargoes.

Due to restricted movement, the memorandum also states that the Executive Branch will implement “a work from home” arrangement except for members of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and health and emergency frontline services, border control and other critical services.

Affected daily-wage earners and poor communities will be provided with food assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The government will also be tasked to ensure that affected workers may avail of a moratorium on lease rentals, advanced pro-rated 13th month pay, reprieve in utility bills, and assistance to micro, small and medium-scale enterprises.

When asked how workers will travel during the quarantine period, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said the local government may provide transportation to those in need and may draft their own ordinances requiring public utilities — like public transportation — to operate limited services.

For the business process outsourcing sector, Nograles said these companies must provide transportation or temporary accommodation for their workers starting March 18, otherwise they will not be allowed to continue operating.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday reported the recovery and discharge of the first Filipino patient infected with coronavirus, bringing the total number of recovered patients in the country to three.

The DOH also reported two more confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 142 with 12 deaths as of 12 noon Monday. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Mass transport suspended under enhanced community quarantine." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096849 (accessed March 17, 2020 at 08:37AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Mass transport suspended under enhanced community quarantine." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096849 (archived).

[phgq]

Taal Volcano still showing signs of hazardous eruption: Phivolcs

#PHnews: Taal Volcano still showing signs of hazardous eruption: Phivolcs

MANILA – Residents near Taal Volcano should brace for the possible “devastation” of their homes, in the event that the volcano’s “hazardous explosive” eruption begins, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Tuesday.

In a press conference with Palace reporters, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the “realistic” scenario is evacuees could not return to their home anytime soon since the Taal Volcano is still showing signs of possible hazardous eruption.

“Isipin mo lang kung natuloy at Alert Level 5, devastation. Hindi ka naman makakabalik agad. So ‘yun ‘yung dapat realistic na makita na natin na hindi biro ang ganitong activity (You can think of the possibility that if Alert Level 5 is raised, it means devastation. You cannot return there immediately. So that’s the realistic scenario that we should consider, that such volcanic activity is not a joke),” he said.

“Kasi (Because) at Alert Level 4, that is the warning for the possible hazardous explosive eruption. When that (hazardous explosive eruption) happens, if that really happens, hindi naman makakabalik kasi devastated ‘yung lugar (you cannot return because the area is devastated), if that happens. Kung matter of fact lang ang sasabihin mo (If you want a matter of fact), that is the scenario, if it happens,” he added.

Taal Volcano, one of the popular tourist attractions in the country that sits in a picturesque lake, is one of the shortest volcanoes in the world and is the second-most active volcano in the Philippines.

It last erupted in 1977, while its most fatal eruption was in 1911, killing more than 1,000 people and devastating villages on the lake shore.

On Sunday, Phivolcs was prompted to raise the Alert Level to 4 or “Intense Unrest” following the increased number and intensity of volcanic tremors occurring under the restive Taal Volcano.

Solidum warned that the possible hazardous explosive eruption may happen within “hours or days.”

People near Taal’s 14-kilometer radius were told to evacuate

Forced evacuation in some areas in Tagaytay City in Cavite, and in Balete, Laurel, San Nicolas and Agoncillo towns in Batangas is currently underway.

Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla, Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator for Operations, said around 6,891 families or 30,432 individuals have already been evacuated.

Some 6,317 families, who seek refuge came from Batangas, while the other 574 families were from Cavite, Monilla added.

Despite the high number of evacuees, Monilla noted that residents within the 14-kilometer radius of Taal apparently ignored the dangers of the erupting volcano by defying the government’s advice for them to immediately vacate their homes.

Monila, nevertheless, ensured that the government is exhausting all efforts to evacuate all those affected by Taal Volcano's unrest.

“Actually, hindi kasi lahat ay sumunod sa advisory na mag-evacuate na. But when the situation worsened, saka lang sila gumagalaw (Actually not all followed the advisory to evacuate. But when the situation worsened, it’s the only time when they heeded the advice),” he said.

“We are doing our best to be able to evacuate everyone,” Monilla added.

Solidum said evacuees cannot still go back to their homes, even if Alert Level 4 lowers to Alert Level 2 or 3.

Monilla said the government is ready to help families, who have been displaced by Taal Volcano, which continues spewing lava and plumes of smoke.

“(The) DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) is in full control of all the evacuation centers. They have enough resources to provide the services to these 118 evacuation centers, as of now,” Monilla said.

“Continuously po, tinitignan din ng NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) ang locations ng evacuations centers na ito, if it is of distant na hindi na ito maapektuhan in case na mag-aggravate ang ating eruption sa Taal (The NRDDM is also continuously checking on the locations of evacuation centers, if it is of distant in case Taal’s eruption aggravates),” he added.

Heed gov’t precautions

Amid Taal Volcano's increased activity, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo appealed to the affected residents to comply with the government's safety measures.

In a separate press conference, the Palace official hoped that those who are living in Batangas and Cavite would realize that the government merely wants to save them from any danger.

He also advised them to avoid going to unsafe places.

"Sa lahat ng mga nanunuod ngayon diyan sa apektadong lugar, makinig po kayo palagi sa mga anunsyo, pahayag na nangggagaling sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno at ng pamahalaan kaugnay diyan sa inyong mga lugar (To those who are in affected places, listen to the announcement from different government agencies)," Panelo said.

"Pakinggan niyo pong maigi sapagkat yung mga pahayag na' gun, ang layunin po noon ay upang ipaalam sa inyo ang pagnkasalukuyang sitwasyon at kung paano kayo ilalayo sa panganib (Listen very carefully because the announcement's goal is to make you informed about the current situation and to protect you from danger)," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to visit the areas affected by Taal Volcano's eruption on Tuesday afternoon.

Panelo said the President wants to personally assess the situation of areas near Taal Volcano.

"He (Duterte) wants to see for himself the devastation wrought by the eruption. From there, I suppose he will be making orders," he said.

Gov’t to save abandoned animals

As residents near Taal Volcano fled their homes to escape the potentially fatal volcanic eruption, their animals were left abandoned.

Monilla guaranteed that animals of evacuees are part of the government's disaster plan.

"We put premium talaga sa buhay ng tao that’s why inuuna natin ang evacuation ng ating mga kababayan na mailayo natin sa threat because of the eruption (We put premium to the lives of the people that's why we first prioritized their evacuation, to ensure that they are saved from threat because of the eruption)," he said.

"And after that, ang next natin na i-evacuate of course, ‘yung mga animal after na ma-evacuate natin ang mga tao (animals will be next evacuated of course, after we are able to evacuate all the people)," Monilla added.

People for Ethical Treatment of Animals announced Monday that its rescue team is now providing basic food and veterinary care for animals rescued from the harmful effects of the ashfall from Taal Volcano. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Taal Volcano still showing signs of hazardous eruption: Phivolcs." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090825 (accessed January 15, 2020 at 04:18AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Taal Volcano still showing signs of hazardous eruption: Phivolcs." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090825 (archived).

[phgq]

Government extends various assistance to Tondo fire victims

#PHinfo: Government extends various assistance to Tondo fire victims

Senator Bong Go symphatized with, and assisted the victims of fire in Tondo, Manila, where 67 families who were affected very warmly greeted him upon his arrival. (PIA NCR)

The Fernandez family expressed grateful appreciation for the kindness shown by Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go when he personally visited them and their fellow fire victims in Barangay 57 in Tondo, Manila on a Wednesday afternoon.

Late Sunday afternoon (Nov. 16), a fire broke out in one of the houses along N. Zamora Street. The fire  spread so quickly and consumed rows upon rows of houses made of light materials.  While most of the families were able to secure their belongings, the fire nevertheless reached fifth alarm and razed at least 30 structures, including a nearby convenient store and auto electrical shop in the area.

By late evening, the fire was declared under control by the BFP, and while there were no fatalities reported in the incident, most of their belongings were destroyed.

By Wednesday, the Fernandez family was received various assistance from  national government agencies and kind-hearted individuals brought by the senator himself.

Lolo Alex Fernandez very proudly shows the signature Bong Go sneakers given to him. (PIA NCR)

“Grabe, ang galing ni Senator Bong Go! said the Fernandez household in unison, led by Alex Fernandez, the 70-year old “Lolo” of the family.” (Oh my gosh, Senator Bong Go has been so overwhelmingly amazing!) 

As it turned out, Lolo Alex was also the lucky recipient of Go’s very own own signature size-9 basketball sneakers, which the senator handed to the delightful senior citizen personally.

“Ang masasabi ko ay napakabait niyang tao. Saan ka makakakita na pulitiko na nagbigay ng sarili niyang sapatos sa isang nasunugan?” (All I can say is he is a very good man. Where can you see a politician giving away his own pair of shoes to a fire victim?)

“Nakapagpasaya po sila,” referring not only to the goods and financial assistance given them, but also to the celebrities brought by Go. Actor Philip Salvador and comic Moymoy Palaboy or James Roanld Macasero in real life provided them relief from their emotional grief. (They made us very happy.)

“Mabuti na lamang at walang nasaktan at maaari naman mapalitan ang lahat ng nawala sa sunog,” Lolo Alex said. (The good thing is nobody was hurt, and we can replace the stuff that was lost.)

“Kahit malungkot ang buhay dahil sa sunog, masaya kami ngayon,” he added, thanking all those who responded to their plight after the fire reduced most of everything they owned to ashes. (Even if life is kind of depressing at this point because of the fire, we are very happy now.)

Go brought with him officials from the DSWD, who, according to the the legislator, would also provide them with an additional P5,000 per affected family; the DOH with medical assistance and free first aid kits; the DTI, who would provide livelihood or business assistance and training to qualified victims; the PCSO and PAGCOR with more financial aids; and the NHA, who would provide housing materials through additional financial benefit of up to P30K to those who need to rebuild or repair their damaged houses.

Go even assured free uniforms and school supplies to the fire-affected students.

The senator also announced that every indigent Filipino in-need of medical assistance are now benefiting from the Malasakit Centers being put up in DOH-run government hospitals.

He said with the Malasakit Center, the public could access medical and financial aid from the DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and Office of the President in one place, complementing the universal health care program.

"Noong nasa Davao City pa kami ng ating Pangulong Duterte, nakita na namin kung gaano kahirap ang pinagdadaanan ng ating mga kababayang Pilipino, lalo na sa kanilang pagpapa-ospital, ang pagpunta nila sa iba't ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno para makahingi ng tulong, yung kanilang pagod at ginagastos sa pamasahe. Dito sa ating Malasakit Center, basta Pilipino ka, pwede kang humingi ng tulong dito, kasi po pera ninyo ito, pera ng taumbayan ito,” Go said. (When President Duterte and I were still in Davao City, we saw the plight our Pilipino kababayans had to go through, especially when being hospitalized, they had to go to a number of government agencies in order to get the needed assistance, which entails additional cost for them. But with our Malasakit Center, if you're a Filipino, you are automatically allowed to get assistance becuase this is funded by the taxpayers' money, your money.)

A "go-to guy" (or "go-to person") is considered as someone to whom one turns for help or support. For the scores of families affected by the tragic incident, their go-to guy on that day turned out to be the the senator himself.

The fire may have destroyed their belongings and their homes, but through the actions of a "probinsyano-turned statesman" from Davao and his team, the victims may have felt something in their lives to turn out for the better in the end. (PIA NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "Government extends various assistance to Tondo fire victims." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030514 (accessed November 21, 2019 at 03:10PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "Government extends various assistance to Tondo fire victims." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1030514 (archived).