By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental’s provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, said yesterday that the provincial government is focusing all relief efforts in the southern areas of the province which was totally devastated by last week’s super typhoon “Odette.”

According to Diaz they have already set up a Provincial Relief Center in Kabankalan City.

The relief center will be the primary hub for the distribution of relief aid to other neighboring local government units (LGUs).

“Nagdaku ang aton volume sang mga relief goods nga ga-inabot,” Diaz said.

Among the donations they received are 300 sacks of rice from the office of Bacolod City Lone District Congressman Greg Gasataya, and 2,000 jerry cans of water coming from the office of Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson have already been sent to southern Negros.

They also received 200 sacks of rice from Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who also arrived yesterday.

Other LGUs in Negros Occidental have also sent their own rescue and relief teams to the south such as the cities of Cadiz, Talisay, Silay, and Bago.

Sagay City, meanwhile, has sent a water purifier which will be used to produce drinkable water.

Diaz also pointed out that restoring electricity in the affected areas is now becoming a bigger priority as it would greatly help in producing more drinking water.

He pointed out that they tried to create a contract with refilling stations that are still functioning, however, all of them have refused to help citing that the electricity is still unstable with frequent brownouts still being experienced.

In the meantime, Diaz said they have decided to refill their water in Bacolod City, wherein the electricity situation has now stabilized.

“There will come a time that we will run out of jerry cans, so aga pa gapanawagan na kami sa aton mga kautoran nga kung magkadto sila sa refilling station dala na sila sang ila jerry cans,” Diaz said.

Earlier, Negros Occidental reported 34 fatalities due to super typhoon “Odette” with 88 injuries, and seven still missing.

Total losses in the province are pegged at close to P6 billion.

Lacson had already declared the province under a “state of calamity.”/DGB, WDJ