BUSTOS, Bulacan — As this town celebrates the 13th Minasa Festival here Monday, the Office of the Vice President's Disaster Operations Center (OVP-DOC) conducted a relief operation by distributing rice to residents affected by heavy flooding.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who was the guest speaker in the opening ceremony of the festival here, said the OVP-DOC will never leave Filipinos especially in time of crisis and calamities.

“Sa panahon ng mga emergencies na kagaya nito, hindi po namin kayo iiwan. Sa araw na ito, ang amin pong Disaster Operations Center ay magpapadala ng tulong sa ating local government of Bustos,” Duterte said.

OVP-DOC, in partnership with the Office of the Provincial Governor Daniel R. Fernando, Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), and Bustos Mayor Francis Albert Juan, delivered 200 sacks of rice to the provincial government of Bulacan to be distributed to the affected families.

Due to continuous rains, water was released from Angat, Bustos and Ipo Dams, displacing thousands of Bulakeños.

The Vice President assured the people that the government is working to provide necessary relief assistance to affected families going through the crisis.

She also reiterated the urgent need for effective flood control infrastructures and disaster management response in reinforcing the communities’ capacity to prevent the occurrence of a calamity.

“Sa panahon ngayon, hindi pa man dumadating ang bagyo ay nakakaranas na tayo ng baha. Importanteng alam ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya at komunidad kung ano ang gagawin kapag may emergency. Kapag sinabi ng ating local na gobyerno na kailangan lumikas, sundin po natin ang payo ng mga awtoridad bago pa man dumating ang sakuna o trahedya,” Duterte said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng paghahanda, maiibsan ang ating takot at pangamba, at maiiwasan natin ang panganib sa buhay at trahedya,” she added. OVP MEDIA