Volunteer workers of Bangon Northern Luzon have mounted emergency relief operations in areas of Cagayan province hardest hit by Super Typhoon “Ompong’s” fury.

As of Tuesday, the relief operation already distributed 1,500 packages to families and individuals in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon under Secretary Raul Lambino.

Lambino is also administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority through which the relief effort is being coordinated.

Spokesman Joseph Garcia of the lead organization Andres P. Tamayo Sr. Foundation Inc. said “our aim is to help address the immediate needs of families affected by the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.”

The relief drive also includes rehabilitation assistance, Garcia said, and will reach across parts of Northern Luzon that bore the brunt of Ompong’s destructive 205-kph winds.

Each relief pack, Garcia said, contained basic goods such as blanket, sleeping mat, medicines, rice, noodles, bottled water and water pail.

A second batch of 1,500 relief packs was en route to Cagayan Wednesday while another truck load of relief packs were sent to Nueva Vizcaya, he said.

“DDT Construct Inc. and Whiteport Inc., two construction companies behind the APTSFI, jump-started the relief operations through the two companies corporate contributions,” Garcia said.

Aside from the APTSFI and CEZA, both entities have carried out relief works in the past, Garcia identified five partner organizations in the Bangon Northern Luzon relief effort.

These are the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rotary Club of Makati South, Rotary International District 3830, APO United International Organization Inc. and the Association for Philippines-China Understanding.

#Bangon Northern Luzon has set up its command center at Shore 2 Condominium, Seaside Boulevard, MOA Complex in Pasay City, where volunteers from partner organizations have been repacking relief goods. It can be reached through cellphone number +639175324039.

“Bangon Northern Luzon is reaching out to other benevolent donors and benefactors for assistance, in cash or in kind,” Garcia said.

http://www.manilastandard.net/news/national/276111/bangon-northern-luzon-starts-emergency-drive.html