Roque assures Albayanos of help from national gov’t
By Connie Calipay LEGAZPI CITY --- The government will do everything “to keep the Mayon Volcano evacuees free from harm.” This, according to Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque, is what President Rodrigo Duterte would like to convey to the Albayanos. Roque said during his visit here Thursday that the concerns of every resident of the province affected by the restiveness of Mayon Volcano would be immediately relayed to the President. “Ang pagpunta natin ngayon ay isang pagpapahayag na ang Malacanang ay nandito na sa Legazpi (Our coming here shows that Malacanang is now here in Legazpi). The national government will always take care of you,” he said. The Palace official said he would recommend to President Duterte to visit Albay the soonest possible time to personally see and talk to the evacuees affected by the Mayon eruption. This means, he said, that the President is with Albay residents in this time of calamity. Roque said all the departments of the national government are simultaneously moving to respond to the needs of the people of the province. The Philippine National Police is also assisting the government in all its efforts to help the needy and ensure security in the affected municipalities and cities, he added. Likewise, the Department of Education is responding to the needs of the education sector while the Department of Social Welfare and Development continues to supply food packs to the evacuees, Roque said. The DSWD, he added, has standby funds amounting to P18M to cover the needs of those Albayanos temporarily staying in public schools. Roque said it was a “whole government” approach that was being implemented by the national government in Albay down to the city, municipal and barangay levels.