Senator Zubiri donates 700 sacks of rice to severely affected families in Bicol

Senate majority floor leader Juan Miguel Zubiri has distributed on Friday until Sunday, Nov. 13-15) some 700 sacks of rice to the severely affected families by the three typhoons that hit the Bicol region in the past weeks.

In a media briefing at the Albay Capitol Building, Zubiri said that he did not bring rice to Bicol but instead bought them from local farmers and traders out of his personal fund. He added that more relief goods are coming.

“We decided to just buy the sacks of rice from the local farmers and traders here in Bicol so that we could help them in selling their produce. And at the same time, we distributed these rice to the families grossly affected by Typhoons “Quinta,” “Rolly” and “Ulysses,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri also bats for the construction of sturdier evacuation centers, including schools buildings, to serve as safer shelter by the people during strong typhoons.

“Typhoons are getting stronger at this time. So we really need to adopt to them by building infrastructures that could withstand these typhoons,” Zubiri said.

He said he would also confer with Public Works Sec. Mark Villar for the possible construction of anti-lahar dikes around Mayon Volcano.

“We will discuss this (dike construction) with Sec. Villar so that we could really plan out what designs to adopt so that it could effectively contain volcanic materials into gullies and river channels and avoid these debris hitting communities,” Zubiri added.

Zubiri, whose mother is a native of Libon, Albay, said he felt bad when he visited and witnessed the extent of devastation left by the destructive typhoons in the province.

He also pledged more help to the Bicol region once he goes back to Manila that would include construction of houses for those who were rendered homeless by the recent typhoons.