Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday told survivors of typhoon Odette not to lose hope and urged them to continue working hard to recover from its impact on their lives.
“Mahirap man harapin ang mga problemang ito, nawa’y hindi tayo mawalan ng determinasyong lumaban sa mga pagsubok,” Cayetano said his Facebook page where his Sampung Libong Pag-asa program was livestreamed.
(As difficult as it may be to face these challenges, may we not lose the determination to withstand trials.)
Typhoon Odette (international name ‘Rai’) left a trail of destruction in the country from December 16 to 18, 2021.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) placed the death toll at 407 and the number of injured at more than 1,000.
The agency said damage to agriculture was P7.68 billion in 10 regions — Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Regions 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and Caraga.
Damage to infrastructure was placed at P16.9 billion in Mimaropa, Regions 7, 8, 10, 12, Caraga, and BARMM.
Typhoon Odette also left significant damage to houses in 10 regions along its path, with 582,626 either partially or totally damaged.
Wednesday’s episode of Sampung Libong Pag-asa featured farmers Gerald Lanto and Flora Abatayo whose home and crops in Dagohoy, Bohol were destroyed by typhoon Odette.
“Dahil sa bagyong Odette ay nasira yung pananim namin, at lalong-lalo na yung aming bahay,” Lanto said.
(Typhoon Odette damaged our crops and most especially our house.)
The program reached out to 25 farmers in Dagohoy with P10,000 in financial aid to help them get back on their feet.
“Ito ay pinakamalaking tulong para malunas ang aming problema,” Abatayo stated.
(This is the biggest help to solve our problems.)
Cayetano had spearheaded the Sampung Libong Pag-asa to push the government to provide P10,000 in cash assistance to every Filipino family to help them with their daily needs as well as put up their own small businesses.
