By Eden Eve Lacea

PHOTO: OVP

Dinagat Islands continue to suffer from the damages caused by typhoon Odette, says Vice President Leni Robredo after her second visit on December 29. 

In a Facebook post on her personal page, Robredo stated that conditions in the area had not yet improved since her last visit. 


"We went back to Dinagat Islands to check their situation," the Vice President wrote. "The last time I visited was December 19, 3 days after the typhoon and it was still very bad," she added. 

During her first survey of the province on December 19, the presidential candidate had already expressed difficulties faced by the islands after the typhoon hit. 



"Their food is already running out. They do not have electricity, water, and any means of communication," Robredo wrote. "Various places could not be accessed by cars because of fallen posts and trees. We had to ride motorcycles in order to move around, " she explained further. 

After the initial visit, Robredo had reached out to Dinagat Islands Governor Kaka J. Bag-ao in order to discuss the damages and critical needs of the province, and also highlighted that help is needed to be provided for a longer time. 

"We were briefed by Governor Kaka J. Bag-ao of the extent of the damage and we discussed what other help their province needs. Donations started pouring in, mostly from private and development organizations. There were also some from LGUs. The province has been prepositioning them well. But because the entire province was badly hit, they would need more in the long term," she stated. 

Furthermore, 5 hectares worth of land will be allocated for housing in order to relocate residents living in danger zones, and plans on the development of another Angat Buhay Village are also being discussed. 

"The province has set aside 5 hectares for housing so that those living in the danger zones will already be permanently relocated. We promised to partner with them so we could put up another Angat Buhay Village," Robredo said. 

Since the landfall of typhoon Odette on various areas of Visayas and Mindanao, the Vice President had already visited the provinces of Bohol, Dinagat Islands, Palawan, Negros Occidental, Siargao, Surigao City, Southern Leyte, and Cebu.