US Marines land in Albay to help typhoon victims

14 March 2007
By Ephraim Aguilar
Inquirer Southern Luzon

LEGAZPI CITY—AT LEAST 150 MEMBERS of the 3rd US Marine Expeditionary Brigade based in Okinawa and a 300-man crew based in San Diego, California, arrived here yesterday on a humanitarian mission to help the mudslide victims of Albay.

The Americans immediately fanned out after stepping off the USS Comstock, which docked at the Legazpi port.

The Marines will be involved in medical missions, repair of damaged classrooms and cleanup drives in six villages in Legazpi, Daraga and Guinobatan under the week-long P1.3-million project, said 2nd Lt. Brian Block, brigade spokesperson.

The contingent also brought 10,000 pounds of supplies, food, clothing and toys for the typhoon survivors.

Two medical teams each consisting of 15 Marines were deployed to relocation sites and transit shelters in Barangay Taysan in Legazpi, Travesia in Guinobatan, and Tabon-Tabon, Tagas and the Daraga North Central School in Daraga.

Capt. Lowen Gil Marquez, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Unit in Bicol, said six teams from the AFP and two from the Philippine National Police joined the project.

WHO assistance

Also yesterday, the World Health Organization announced it had delivered to the Department of Health and local government units in Bicol $150,000 worth of medical supplies, equipment and technical support for the region.

Dr. Malou Barrameda, WHO program officer, said the Italian government had donated, through the WHO, emergency health kits worth $21,617. Each health kit could meet the needs of 10,000 people for three months.

The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in Albay said 3,202 families or 16,592 persons remained in 16 evacuation and transit centers in the province.

Most of the families are waiting to be moved into houses being built by the provincial government and nongovernment organizations like Gawad Kalinga and the Sisters of Charity.

Land for relocation needed

Albay Gov. Fernando Gonzalez said in a radio interview Monday that 30 hectares of land were needed for the relocation sites.

Gonzalez said 500 houses were being constructed in Barangay Taysan in this city and 300 houses at a newly identified relocation site in Anislag, Daraga, Albay.

He said relocation sites had been identified in Barangay Culliat in Daraga and another in Camalig town.