Office of the Vice President

4 August 2017

Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday paid a visit to some of the families displaced by the recent 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Leyte, consulting them about their needs.

VP Leni came to Barangay Rizal in the Municipality of Kananga, and had an informal dialogue with some 80 families relocated from four sitios nearby. Families here are currently staying in makeshift tents, while the local government is building temporary shelter for them.

The families, whose livelihood is mainly farming, raised concerns not only about being forced to leave their homes, but also the land they cultivated.

For her part, VP Leni said she understood their apprehensions, but also called on them to understand that their safety is of utmost concern to the government.

She reiterated her office’s commitment to extend more sustainable assistance to them, as it aims to do for victims of other disasters and natural calamities.

“Alam ko na iyong ganito, kahit pa naaasikaso tayo, iyong pangamba nandiyan pa din. Lalo na kasi noong ini-evacuate kayo, siyempre iniwan ninyo iyong inyong kabuhayan sa taas. Isang bagay pong mahirap—mahirap harapin—pero siyempre po iyong ating pamahalaan, iyong iniisip iyong kapakanan ninyo,” she said.

“[I]to lang po… pagpapaabot lang sa inyo na hindi naman namin kayo pababayaan. Iyong inyo pong lokal na pamahalaan, hindi naman kayo pababayaan. Pero hindi din puwedeng isugal iyong inyong kapakanan. Kaya alam ko po na baka iyong iba sa atin, naiinip, kasi siyempre, napalayo tayo kung nasaan tayo dati. Pero isipin po natin, para din ito sa kapakanan natin,” she added.

Upon the request of the local government, the Office of the Vice President has committed to provide 3,200 GI sheets, which will be used in the construction of temporary shelter for these evacuees.

VP Leni also said they will look into extending livelihood assistance to the affected community, linking them with private partners of her office’s flagship Angat Buhay program. She said they plan to replicate the model set by the Jollibee Group Foundation’s “Farmer Entrepreneurship Program,” which makes adopted farming communities part of the supply chain of its corporation.

“Malaking bagay kung ma-adopt natin iyong modelong iyon dito. Hahanap tayo ng kung ano iyong produktong pinakamagandang tumutubo dito, hahanap tayo ng partner na company na dadalhin natin dito, para iyong konseptong iyon, puwedeng pag-umpisahan,” she said. “Kasi iyong mga biktima dito, halos walang babalikan, dahil iyong sinasaka nilang lupa wala na. So ito sana, kung maumpisahan sana, malaman natin saan ba sila ire-relocate, ano iyong puwedeng itanim malapit sa pagre-relocate-an sa kanila, puwede na tayong magdala dito ng mga kumpanya na willing to invest.”

“Ngayon, malaki iyong tulong ng local government sa pag-asikaso sa kanila. Sabi nila, maraming pumapasok na tulong pagdating sa pagkain, ibang pangangailangan, galing sa private, pero siyempre mauubos din ito. Kaya mas mabuti sana na hanapbuhay talaga iyong maibigay. Agriculture iyong pinaka-practical,” she added.