By Brian Campued
“Hindi umuurong sa pagtulong.”
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is set to deploy an aid caravan on Sunday to deliver additional relief and medical assistance to families and individuals affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Opong in Masbate and the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu.
PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles said the caravan is in partnership with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).
“We can not turn away from the suffering of our fellow Filipinos in Masbate and Cebu,” Robles said. “Our duty is clear: to respond and continue helping until aid reaches every corner of these communities.”
The caravan will bring 12 patient transport vehicles (PTVs)—11 in Cebu and one as well as five dump trucks from MMDA, six wing vans, and three buses loaded with essential supplies, including the PCSO’s Charitimba for affected communities in both provinces.
The relief caravan will depart from the LRTA Compound in Pasig City on Sunday morning.
Both Masbate and Cebu were placed under state of calamity as residents continue to grapple with the aftermath of Opong and the earthquake, which both displaced thousands of people and destroyed homes and infrastructure.
The PCSO has already distributed relief items to affected families through daily C-130 flights and shipments via the Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Gabriela Silang.
-jpv
