PAYBACK. Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda meets with Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas Tuesday before the Pampanga Team’s undertaking rescue-relief and medical missions in the areas devastated by the Taal Volcano eruptions. Photo Courtesy of Pampanga PIO
BATANGAS CITY – The Pampanga rescue and relief team led by Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda in a convoy of 62 vehicles arrived here late Monday night and immediately set its field command post at the Batangas Sports Complex in Barangay Bolbok.
After Tuesday morning meeting with Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas, the team set about on its mission of helping in rescue operations, transport of evacuees to designated evacuation areas, and the provision of food and relief goods as well as medical services to the victims of the Taal Volcano eruptions.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office executive officer Angie Blanco was coordinating the operations with her Batangas counterpart.
The Pampanga team is composed of 107 Capitol employees, 50 policemen headed by provincial director Col. Jean Fajardo, and 73 volunteers from the private sector.
Also with the team are doctors, nurses, medics, search and rescue personnel and social workers capable of attending to 5,000 individuals.
The Pampanga team convoy comprised military transport and dump trucks for evacuations, fuel and water tanker, an ambulance, closed vans for medicine and 8,500 food packs.
Pineda called the relief-rescue mission “payback time.”
“We Kapampangans are paying back. Noon pong pumutok ang bulkang Pinatubo, marami po ang tumulong sa amin para iligtas kami at makabangon. Ito hong pagtulong ay pasasalamat namin,” Pineda said prior to the team’s departure last Monday afternoon.
