AFP to assist OCD in assessing needs, damage from ‘Rolly’

AFP chief-of-staff, Gen. Gilbert Gapay. (PNA Photo)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will continue to assist the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in assessing the damage and needs of areas battered by Super Typhoon Rolly.

“We will continue to assist OCD in their rapid damage assessment and need assessment activities,” AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay said in a briefing Monday at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

This is aside from ongoing efforts of the AFP to restore communications in the affected areas in coordination with the OCD and local government units (LGUs).

“Early (on) we have dispatched one deployable signal team to Catanduanes to help restore communication(s) in the province,” Gapay added.

He said the AFP is also ready to transport relief goods to affected areas in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Gapay added that additional engineering equipment is on the way to assist the Department of Public Works and Highways in the clearing of roads and bridges affected by “Rolly”.

In its 11 a.m. Monday update, the NDRRMC reported that families affected by “Rolly” have reached 372,716.

This is equivalent to 1,468,296 persons residing in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol.

Of this number, 114,383 families or 416,195 individuals are being served “inside and outside evacuation centers”, according to the update released by NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad.

Also, 177 coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients and 417 medical support staff in 10 mega and local quarantine testing facilities were evacuated.

Undergoing validation are 11 fatalities and two injured persons in Calabarzon and Bicol.
The NDRRMC also reported that a total of 126,300 families or 457,903 individuals were preemptively evacuated in Regions 2, 3, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, 5, 8, Cordillera Administrative Region, and the National Capital Region.

In the same briefing, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said LGUs have performed well during the onslaught of “Rolly” including the forced evacuations ahead of the typhoon’s onslaught.

“Maganda ang performance ng ating LGUs, as early as October 30, nagsisimula na tayo ng forced evacuation, in fact kahit sa lugar na kung saan lumihis ‘yung bagyo katulad ng NCR (National Capital Region) ay patuloy ang kanilang (Our LGUs’ performance are good. We have started forced evacuation as early as October 30. In fact, regardless of the typhoon’s path, other areas such as the NCR also started continuous) evacuation,” he added.

He noted that the LGUs also have enough food for the evacuees.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief-for-operations, Lt. Gen. Hawthorne Binag, said 6,107 personnel were deployed for search, rescue, and retrieval operations in the affected areas while over 17,000 more police officers are on standby.