Bringing with them packs of assorted food, used clothing, rice, drinking water, and prayers, the provincial police office of Lanao del Norte and its partner, the Provincial Interfaith Council (PIC), traveled to Surigao del Norte and Surigao City to reach out to Typhoon Odette-stricken residents.
In an interview on Saturday, Lt. Col. Salman Saad, chief of Police Community Affairs and Development Unit (PCADU) of the Lanao del Norte Police, said the goods were donations from stakeholders and community partners of the police and the PIC, which includes churches and other religious groups in the province.
They also distributed vegetable seeds to families who were into farming even before “Odette” hit the area in December.
“Our objective here is to also remind them that they can rise up after the calamity by going back to what they have used to do, the farming, so that they have food to bring to their table when relief assistance from the government or private organizations are not enough,” Saad said in a phone interview.
The recent batch of relief goods was sent on January 20.
About 980 families or 4,900 individuals received the food packs. They were residents of Barangay Sta. Cruz of Placer town in Surigao del Norte; and barangays Luna and Washington in Surigao City.
Saad said these families were a mix of Muslims and non-Muslims who were all prayed over by Christian pastors and leaders who are members of the PIC.
In a December report of the local government unit of Surigao City, about 23,738 houses were destroyed by the typhoon, 19,424 were damaged, and 50,957 families were affected.
Saad said the relief operation was made possible through the leadership of Lanao del Norte Police director, Col. Isias Bacurnay Jr., and the provincial government of Lanao del Norte with the assistance of the Surigao del Norte Police and Surigao City Police.
Source: Philippines News Agency
