CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Batanguenos feeling the brunt of the ongoing eruption of Taal Volcano are in for another relief.
On Tuesday, the Pampanga Team returned to Batangas for another round of medical mission and relief efforts.
It can be recalled that on Jan. 12, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued Alert Level 4 at 7:30 pm warning of an imminent hazardous eruption.
Less than 24 hours after, Gov. Dennis “Delta” G. Pineda personally led the Pampanga Team of 302 rescue and relief volunteers, as well as medical and social workers in a 63-vehicle convoy that arrived at the Batangas City Sports Complex at around 3 a.m. Jan. 13, and began setting up its facilities ready for operation.
In the five-day operation of the Pampanga team, 14 dump trucks joined in the evacuation of the residents as well as two military trucks and an Isuzu NHR vehicle.
The Pampanga Team conducted site inspection and validation in the municipalities of Agoncillo and San Nicolas for possible clearing operations with the Batangas provincial engineer while vehicle and manpower were on standby for request for clearing operations.
But it was the relief operations that gave Batanguenos the much-needed help where a total of 27,792 families were assisted.
A total of P8,697,636 in assistance was extended to the victims, including five kilos of rice, corned beef cans, sardines and eggs as well as rubber slippers or flip flops and sets of underwear for each family.
However, it was the medical mission that highlighted the Pampanga Team’s assistance that treated a total of 2,099 patients in different evacuation centers including schools which were used as evacuation centers.
Among the illnesses treated were coughs and colds, upper respiratory tract infections, sore throat asthma, tonsillitis, fever, dizziness, headaches, blurring of vision, fatigue, difficulty of breathing, shortness of breath, diabetes, hypertension, tooth ache, arthritis, ear pain, UTI, back pain, flank pain, epigostic pain, muscle pain, abdominal tenderness, loss of appetite, body weakness, skin allergy, pregnant women, abdominal tenderness, diarrhea, and chickenpox.
A total of 56,750 medicine of various kinds were dispensed during the operation.
Meanwhile, the Pampanga Team that left for Batangas on Tuesday are expected to be back on Saturday.
