MANILA — Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday mobilized volunteers to assist in disaster relief operations in the city, in coordination with local government officials.
Together with the vice mayor, members of the Joy Belmonte Volunteers’ Movement (JBVM) distributed food, sacks of rice, blankets, and beddings to families and individuals forced to evacuate from their homes in barangays Roxas, Bagumbayan, Damayan, Masambong, Manresa, Tatalon and Matandang Balara, among others.
“Dito po, ang atin po kasing kalakasan ay magmumula sa ating pagkakaroon ng kusang-loob at pagkukusa maglingkod (Here, our strength comes from our having willingness and our volunteerism to serve),” Belmonte said in gratitude to the newly-inducted volunteers.
Launched in 2008, the vice mayor convened the JBVM to respond to the needs of the city. To date, the movement has about 20,000 members.
Due to the succeeding onslaught of natural disasters, Belmonte urged volunteers of the movement to work with the local government to become “force multipliers.”
“Kapag masama ang weather, mayroon pong mga sakuna, mayroong mga disaster, kulang po ang mga tao ko pong bumababa po mula sa(local government) offices (When the weather is bad, when there are accidents and other disasters, there is lack of manpower from the local government),” Belmonte said.
“Humihingi po ako ng tulong sa inyo na pwede nating tulungan yung mga kapatid natin, kapwa natin mga mamamayan na siguro nasalanta o nahirapan (I’m asking for help from you to help our brothers and sisters, our fellow citizens who might have been hit by disaster or are in difficulty),” she added.
In Quezon City, the massive flooding and heavy downpour caused by the southwest monsoon intensified by storms have forced the evacuation of at least 1,623 families or 6,455 individuals. Two persons who had drowned were also identified in the city.
As presiding officer of the City Council, Belmonte also led the passage of Ordinance No. 2578 that aims to establish multi-purpose permanent evacuation centers in every district in Quezon City.
The ordinance was approved on April 10 last year.
The Quezon City local government is already studying possible sites for evacuation centers. (Perfecto Raymundo, Jr./PNA)
