Sen. Grace Poe stressed anew the need to strengthen government preparedness in the face of typhoons and disasters battering the country every year.
“We must act quickly and invest in prevention, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction,” Poe said.
Poe earlier filed Senate Bill No. 124 or the proposed “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System Act” that seeks to create a disaster risk reduction department and set aside at least three percent of all estimated regular government revenues for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management fund.
Meanwhile, to help avert hunger from stalking flood victims in Marikina, Poe organized her team to serve bowls of hot lugaw and bottled water in several barangays in the city submerged by the downpour from Typhoon Ulysses.
“In our own ways, we can give hope to our people. As leaders during this time of crisis it is our job to give hope to those who have lost everything to the floods,” added Poe, as she asked for whole-of-government and private sector help to typhoon-affected residents across the country.
Volunteers of the Poe-led ‘Panday Bayanihan’ went straight to Barangay Tumana, and assembled food stations for the distribution of bowls of lugaw and bottled water.
“Every bowl of food or aid reaching families in need will not only bring relief from hunger, but will spark hope as well,” said Panday Bayanihan Chairman and CEO Brian Poe Llamanzares, who thanked donors including the Alonzo family of Quezon City.
Panday Bayanihan is also set to bring relief packs and hot meals to other affected communities in the coming days. It earlier extended various forms of assistance to the most vulnerable and needy sectors.
