By CESAR JOLITO III

The Bacolod City government has intensified post-typhoon recovery operations, providing aid to more than a thousand displaced families and clearing hundreds of fallen trees as the city recovers from the back-to-back onslaught of Typhoons “Tino” and “Uwan.”

According to the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), 1,072 families displaced by the typhoons have received assistance since the start of relief operations. Of these, 379 families from 18 barangays received food packs on Monday, November 10, following the latest round of distribution.

Ma. Julie Pamuraga, a senior citizen from Barangay Villamonte, whose home was destroyed during Typhoon “Tino,” said she and her grandchild sought shelter at the Villamonte gym during “Uwan.”

“My house was torn apart, but what’s important is that my grandchild is safe,” Pamuraga said, expressing gratitude for the aid she received.

DSSD records show that 3,226 individuals were evacuated to 23 shelters across Bacolod at the height of the storms.

Another 693 families earlier received food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas, in coordination with the local government.

Mayor Greg Gasataya assured that the city’s relief, clearing and water distribution efforts will continue until all affected residents are assisted.

“We mobilized all our departments to speed up clearing and ensure that power and water restoration can proceed without delay,” Gasataya said.

Following Gasataya’s directive, job order personnel from various city departments were deployed to remove debris and clear blocked roads.

Of the 428 trees reported uprooted during Typhoon “Tino,” 109 have been cleared so far by joint teams from the City Engineer’s Office, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office, and other units.

Gasataya said teams are prioritizing areas where trees fell on power lines to help facilitate faster electricity restoration.

Meanwhile, the city government, in coordination with Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, has been distributing potable water to affected areas suffering from service interruptions and power loss.

More than 20,000 liters of drinking water have been distributed to communities in Mansilingan, Granada, Tangub, Villamonte, and Taculing, among others.

The city also thanked local water refilling stations for providing free water refills in support of the ongoing relief mission./CJ, WDJ