President Aquino on Friday inspected various rehabilitation sites in Guiuan, Eastern a year after “Typhoon Yolanda” struck and devastated Eastern Visayas,
The President arrived at 10:25 a.m. at the Guiuan Airport, where he was received by Armed Forces Central Command chief Major General Nicanor Vivar, Police Regional Office 8 Regional Director Chief Superintendent Henry Losañes, and Guiuan Mayor Christopher Gonzales.
President Aquino immediately proceeded to the town’s public market, where he was met by Guiuan Vice Mayor Rogelio Cablao and Councilor Veronica Ramirez.
He was joined by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas and Mayor Gonzales in greeting people in the market and in viewing a photo exhibit at the town plaza across.
The President then visited the nearby Guiuan East Central School to inspect the newly repaired classrooms. He was accompanied by School Principal Dr. Melchor Lacdao, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, and Christoph Dehn, vice chairman for program of Kindernothilfe, the German based foundation-benefactor of the school.
President Aquino then went to the Cogon Resettlement Site, where he was received by International Organization for Migration Head of Mission for the Guiuan Hub Bradley Mellicker.
He inspected the 133 temporary shelters, each of which measures 76 square meters and has a detached restroom.
Together with Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, the President led the turnover of one of the units, sending Benito Gagarin, Sr. and his family inside their “bahay kubo” temporary shelter.
The Chief Executive also handed over to the beneficiary a certificate of occupancy, along with a hygiene kit; a family assistance package containing 25 kilos of rice, 6 canned goods, 8 sachets of energy drink, and 6 sachets of coffee; and a “family kit” containing 1 set of kitchenware, 2 blankets, 1 mosquito net, 1 plastic sheet, and 2 jerrycans all donated by the Kuwait Crescent Society.
He was later ushered to the stage for the program, during which he turned over the certificates of occupancy to the first 20 selected beneficiaries of the “bahay kubo” temporary shelter.
Also present during the inspection were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Alexander Pama, and National Housing Authority General Manager Chito Cruz.
The President departed for Manila at 12:45 p.m. (PND)