November 19th, 2024
Team Albay, the humanitarian and disaster relief mission initiated by then-Governor Joey Sarte Salceda in 2007, has once again reassembled to help Catanduanes towns critically affected by Super Typhoon Pepito.
Team Albay, a multi-awarded program that was the first full mission to arrive on the scene in Tacloban in the aftermath of Yolanda in 2013, will be deploying medical personnel and resources, relief goods, psychosocial support, and other activities to the hard-hit towns of Pandan, Panganiban, Gigmoto, Caramoran, Bagamanoc, and Viga.
Team Albay was awarded the Galing Pook award in 2015 for its humanitarian missions and disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts.
This time, the Team Albay mission to Catanduanes is being spearheaded by Team Albay Youth Organizations (TAYO), a network of youth groups and volunteers mobilized for various socio-civic activities and programs.
“Spared by Typhoon Pepito, the people of Albay, through Team Albay, will help Catanduanes. Despite being in recovery mode… no, because we are in recovery mode, we know what they are going through. Catanduanes is the sentinel of the Bicol Region. It defends us from the worst impacts of typhoons. We have an obligation to help,” Salceda said.
Salceda adds that he has already instructed the Department of Health to allocate P6 million in medical assistance funds for hospitals and medical missions in Catanduanes. The Albay congressman adds that he is working with the private sector and other government agencies to push for more resources to aid in the island-province’s recovery.
“Right now, I am working with the corporate sector to complete the cleanup of the damage, and to accelerate the restoration of power,” Salceda adds.
Meanwhile, League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Albay Chapter president Raymond Adrian Salceda is also conferring with Albay mayors to see what support they can provide.
“We are looking at deploying vehicles and perhaps water supply support to affected towns,” Mayor Salceda says.
[For background information on Team Albay, please check https://www.galingpook.org/what-we-do/awards/awardees/team-albay-humanitarian-assistance-program/]