Typhoon victims in the towns and cities of Negros Oriental have received thousands of liters of water from the Metro Dumaguete Water in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette last Dec. 16.
MDW, a joint venture between Metro Pacific Water and the DCWD, said it has delivered over 300,000 liters of potable water already to typhoon-stricken areas such as Bais City, Manjuyod, Bindoy, and Jimalalud.
David Berba, MDW chief operations officer, said responding to the needs of typhoon victims has been one of the company’s challenges in its first year of operation.
Berba dispatched a water tanker to Bais City in cooperation with Maayo Shipping Inc., on the second day after the typhoon.
Bais City Administrator lawyer Romela Mae Lozano-Napao said, “We will always remember that MDW was the first to respond, providing us drinking water after the typhoon. We are very thankful.”
Other water distribution operations were subsequently done in Manjuyod, Bindoy and Jimalalud, in cooperation with Rotary Clubs of Dumaguete, the Dumaguete City Police Office, the Philippine Red Cross, the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative, and other organizations.
Last Wednesday, the MDW partnered with the Dumaguete Press Club, led by its president Juancho “Choy” Gallarde, to deliver assistance to typhoon victims in Bais City.
They brought a water tanker with 15,000 liters of water, in partnership with Maayo Shipping; 150 carboys of water; 100 packs of rice and canned goods; extra water containers, and additional canned goods from the Dumaguete Press Club.
The group proceeded to barangay Capiñahan, one of the barangays whose water supply was cut off by the typhoon.
Barangay residents welcomed the opportunity to store water in their containers in preparation for their barangay fiesta on Jan. 15.
Bais City Mayor Mercedes Goñi, in an interview, said Typhoon Odette made the City look like a war zone.
The worst-hit was barangay Cabanlutan, where floods as high as 30 feet obliterated several houses in that barangay, accounting for most of the City’s fatalities.
Goñi said she believes the death toll of Bais, which stands at 18, could still go up as some bodies are still believed to be buried under the mud.
But, she continued, “God is good. After the typhoon, people have willingly offered support non-stop, such as Metro Dumaguete Water, even without us asking”. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
