4th ID still helping in ongoing relief ops in 3 CARAGA provinces

MANILA—With the situation now normalizing in rain-battered CARAGA, 4th Infantry Division units, based in Cagayan De Oro City, are still helping civilian relief agencies in the transport of relief goods and equipment in affected communities in Agusan Del Sur, Surigao Del Norte and Misamis Oriental.

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla in a message Tuesday morning.

Units involved in the relief operations, held in conjunction with provincial and local disaster risk management units, are the 401st Infantry Brigade and its 26th and 23rd Infantry Battalions.

“(Military and civilian relief units) distributed a total of 1,104 relief goods in the municipalities of La Paz and Talacogon, all of Agusan Del Sur while 23rd Infantry Battalion continued to provide manpower assistance to the personnel of local government unit for the distribution of relief goods to the affected barangays of Esperanza, Agusan Del Sur,” he added.

The 30th Infantry Battalion is also cooperating with provincial and local disaster response units, also deployed vehicles and helped in the distribution of relief goods in Mainit, Surigao Del Norte.

In addition, two UH-1D helicopters from the Eastern Mindanao Command helped delivered relief goods to five isolated barangays of Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.

Heavy rains in the CARAGA Region last week brought heavy flooding to CARAGA, necessitating the pre-emptive evacuation of thousands of families living near riverbanks and hilly terrains.