The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) also urged the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) “to hasten the search and rescue operations for the missing fishermen and other folk.”
The group lamented the tragedy, saying that the victims were compelled to fish despite the weather because of lack of alternative source of income and their desire to fill in even the simplest family needs for the Christmas holidays.
“At least 34 people have been confirmed dead while more than 60 others are still missing. Majority of the missing people and fatalities are fisherfolk,” Pamalakaya noted.
It said it has remained “hopeful that the missing fishermen may still be able to locate by the authorities and re- turned to their families safe.”
“The national and local governments must mobilize rehabilitation funds to provide assistance to the families of the missing fishermen and to the entire fishing community in Mangsee Island that was devastated by the typhoon,” the group also said.
Pamalakaya appealed to the government to “also speed up its efforts to rehabilitate the typhoon victims in a form of economic relief and livelihood support to help the fishing families get back in their wheels of production.”
The group also asked the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) “to check on the ground the exact number of casualties of the typhoon and strictly coordinate with the appropriate government agencies concerned in rehabilitation.”
