Thirty five barangays in Apalit, Candaba, San Simon, San Luis and Masantol towns benefited from the various relief assistance services provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) under its emergency humanitarian relief assistance to flood affected populations project in Pampanga.
Funded by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the project provided emergency primary healthcare services, repair and rehabilitation of basic communal facilities, cash for work livelihood and transport and warehouse services to the target communities in the province.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (PDRRMO) Engr. Lulu Alingcastre said the barangay-beneficiaries were identified in the joint assessment conducted in close coordination with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) in the aftermath of typhoons Pedring and Quiel in 2011.
Alingcastre said that Governor Lilia G. Pineda extended the necessary support to ensure the effective implementation of the six-month long emergency assistance project.
According to Bellona Ciriaco, IOM senior operations assistant for Pampanga, the concerned barangays benefited from the medical consultations, on-site laboratory procedures and medications provided by the mobile health teams deployed by IOM.
Emergency family health kits were also distributed to 1500 families while 5200 persons underwent informal sessions on health education.
Ciriaco added that repair and rehabilitation of day care centers in barangay Cansinala, Apalit; Sta. Catalina, San Luis; Pulong Gubat, Mangumbali and Vizal, San Pablo in Candaba were also undertaken.
Likewise, the health centers in barangay Tabuyuc,Apalit and rural health unit in San Simon town were completed along with the construction of slope protection in barangay San Juan, San Simon and the provision of hand pump units in barangays Sta. Cruz Pamilog, San Luis; Nigui and Sapang Kawayan in Masantol.
Boxes of assorted medicines were also distributed to the barangay officials during the partners’ forum conducted at the Benigno Aquino Memorial Hall at the provincial capitol compound.
Liberty Sunga of Masantol town thanked the IOM for the millions worth of services and infrastructure projects provided to the flood-affected barangays of the province especially the completed foot bridges in barangays Nigui and Sua in her municipality.
Sunga said that IOM did not leave them until they were able to rise from the calamity as she assured the project implementers that the capability trainings conducted among local government units (LGUs) leaders would be put to maximum use.
Annabelle Pecina of PSWDO duly acknowledged the time, resources and services given by IOM personnel in the emergency relief assistance project.
She enjoined the barangay officials present to always be involved in the planning, execution and evaluation of disaster risk reduction and management activities in their respective communities.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Assistant Regional Director Nigel Lontoc and other stakeholders of the project participated in the forum. (Erlinda T. Yutuc, Pampanga PIO)
