Team Isabela welcomes Pangasinan PDRRMC
November 25, 2020 - "We will remember this day as the day when a fellow province from the North came to assist us," said Atty. Noel Manuel R. Lopez, Provincial Administrator as he expressed gratitude to the delegation from Pangasinan province in a post-typhoon briefing with its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held earlier today at the GFNDy Sr. Session Hall, Provincial Capitol, Alibagu, City of Ilagan, Isabela.
Hand-in-hand with PDRRMO Jimmy U. Rivera, PA Lopez laid out the best practices of Isabela in terms of disaster preparedness and management over the years ever since it has been adjudged as the Best PDRRMC in the Philippines. "Disaster preparedness has always been a way of life in the province kaya madali kaming nakakabangon," he emphasized.
"No amount of money can equal the experience that you will see when you go to a province that is devastated by a disaster," Lopez said as he remembers leading the Team Isabela Relief Mission in the typhoon-stricken province of Leyte in 2013 where they conducted medical, rescue and relief operations for five days.
Speaking from experience PA Lopez affirmed that he has never seen a flooding as massive as the flooding caused by Typhoon Ulysses, "But I have never seen such kindness of people as much as I have seen today," he added.
Atty. Lopez welcomed the PDRRMC of Pangasinan in behalf of Governor Rodito Albano, III, who had a prior commitment for the day.
Gov. Albano hears pleas from MAOs, mayors for agri rehab
November 24, 2020 – Gov. Rodito Albano III urged the Municipal Agriculture Officers (MAOs) to submit the list of farmers tilling one hectare and below, particularly those who were affected by recent typhoons.
In the Agriculture and Rehabilitation Meeting attended by Municipal Mayors and MAOs yesterday, November 23 at the Provincial Capitol Amphitheater, the governor said that the list will be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 2 for validation. He said that these farmers may qualify as beneficiaries from DA’s allocation of one billion (P1B) pesos as rehabilitation aid intended for the Province of Isabela through Agriculture Secretary William Dar, who is scheduled to visit the province on December 2.
Moreover, Gov. Rodito requested the Municipal Mayors to draft a Master Plan for relocation of local communities as a long term solution to areas affected by frequent flooding. The governor also assured his support for dredging of small creeks in low-lying municipalities as immediate solution to mitigate flooding.
The MAOs presented the immediate needs in their respective municipalities to the governor. Majority of MAOs requested assorted vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and “alagaing manok” as alternate livelihood for affected farmers. Other needs require long-term solutions such as construction of a small water impounding project and post-harvest facilities like circular flatbed dryer.
Divilacan Mayor Venturito Bulan reported that strong typhoons swept fishing boats of at least thirty (30) fishermen; hence his request for fishing boats with engines to bounce back their means of living at coastal Isabela.
Santo Tomas Mayor Antonio Talaue Sr., whose town was severely affected with many of its barangays isolated during the flooding expressed his gratitude to the governor and fellow local chief executives for the outpour of support extended to his flood-stricken constituents. He likewise requested for boats to ferry residents in nine (9) low-lying barangays to equip them from similar occurrences and thanked the Governor for the new dump trucks given by the PGI to all 27 barangays in their municipality.
Sen. Gatchalian extends assistance
With the massive damage caused by the flooding in the province, Senator Sherwin “Win” T. Gatchalian and the City Government of Valenzuela extended assistance to the Provincial Government of Isabela by donating P700,000.00. The good senator personally turned over the cheque to Governor Rodito T. Albano III, Vice Governor Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III in a turn-over ceremony held at the Ilagan Community Center last November 21, 2020 which was also attended by the officials of Ilagan City, the Municipality of Tumauini and Cabagan who were also recipients of donations from the Senator.
Governor Rodito extended his gratitude to the senator for visiting the province and bringing assistance to the people. He further said, “overwhelmed na kami sa relief assistance dahil sa dami ng nagbibigay sa probinsiya, umaapaw ang tulong sa amin and we are thankful and overwhelmed with the outpour of blessings”.
In his message, Sen. Win said, “tinatrato kong home province ang Isabela dahil sa inyong mga leaders na nakasama ko sa kongreso, kasabayan ko si Vice Governor Bojie at Governor Rodito na maraming naituro sa akin at marami akong natutunan sa kanila” he said. He also lauded the warm welcome of the Isabeleños and the good camaraderie of leaders and constituents. He especially thanked the teachers who continue to sacrifice for their students even at this time of pandemic. He affirmed his support to the province and said: “susuporta ako sa lahat ng proyekto at program ng mga leaders ng Isabela para sa pagbangon ng probinsiya”. Sen. Win Gatchalian was accompanied by Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Vice Mayor Lorena C. Natividad-Borja.
IRISE Distribution Rolled Out in Echague
The I-RISE Program (Isabela Recovery Initiative to Support Enterprises) was rolled out last November 20, 2020 at Soyung and Cabugao, municipality of Echague, Isabela. The distribution of the loan assistance was made by Governor Rodito T. Albano III, Vice Governor Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, Congressman Faustino “Inno” A. Dy V, Congressman Allan Ty of LPGMA and local officials and attended by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr..
The program is a joint undertaking of the PGI, DTI-R02, LPGMA and Small Business Corp. of Northern Luzon which aims to assist Micro and Small Enterprises and registered Cooperatives and Associations in the province, adversely affected during the Enhanced Community Quarantine as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic by giving them financial loan assistance.
Senator Bong Revilla joined our local officials during the distribution where he expressed sympathy and pledged assistance to the province for the damage caused by flooding brought by Typhoon Ulysses. In his message, the Senator said: “Ibayong pag-iingat ang kailangan dahil hindi lang epekto ng kalamidad ang ating hinaharap, tayo din ay kasalukuyang may pandemyang kinakaharap, ako ay tutulong sa mga pangangailangan ninyo sa abot ng aking makakaya”.
Governor Rodito expressed his gratitude to the senator for taking time to visit the province and for being an inspiration to the people. “Ang iyong pagdating sa probinsiya ay isa ng biyaya pagkat ikaw ay nagbibigay ng inspirasyon sa lahat ng Isabeleño, nilagyan mo ng ngiti at tuwa ang bawat isa sa amin”.
