THE Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) on Tuesday night sent hundreds of relief goods to victims and residents of flood due to the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses in Cagayan Valley. Secretary Raul L. Lambino, CEZA Administrator and Chief-Executive-Officer said relief goods were transported to Cagayan via cargo bus service which will benefit 400 families affected by the recent storm.

“Help is coming. Our offices in Sta. Ana and Tuguegarao would help distribute the relief goods to affected families,” Lambino said.

“We have prepared P200, 000 worth of food packs to be turned over to the office of the provincial governor and the city mayor of Tuguegarao. If not enough, I instructed my staff to find ways so we can provide more aid for our kababayans in Cagayan,” said the CEZA chief.

To date, the relief goods consisting of rice, assorted canned goods, instant noodles, and coffee are good for approximately 400 families.

During a situation briefing on the impacts of Typhoon Ulysses held in Tuguegarao City on Sunday with President Rodrigo Duterte, Lambino said he immediately instructed his staff in CEZA Mandaluyong to pack relief goods to be given away to those hit hardest by the typhoon in the region.

Lambino, who is concurrently the presidential adviser for Northern Luzon, took a plane on Sunday from the Binalonan airstrip in Pangasinan, to reach out to Cagayanos and provide immediate goods to greatly affected by the recent calamity.

“I brought with me the water purifiers from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD). Congressman Ramon Guico III of 5th District Pangasinan lent me his plane so I can bring the water purifiers in Cagayan” he said in his report to Duterte who also flew to Cagayan on Sunday afternoon to show his solidarity with Ilocanos affected by the massive flooding and assured swift government assistance. “CEZA has been consistent in providing aid to Cagayanos in times of crisis and calamity,” the Secretary added. The President lauded Lambino, an Ilocano himself, for his efforts saying he’s doing a great job. “That’s good. That’s the spirit of an Ilocano, always in the service of your people,” Duterte stated.

Several barangays in the Cagayan Valley remain submerged as heavy rains battered Cagayan and Isabela provinces, while water is discharged from one of the largest dams in the country, the Magat Dam, contributed to the flooding. “We need to show our solidarity to our fellow Filipinos in Cagayan, and extend our help to those survivors of the calamity. They need every help they can get,” Lambino said. Local government officials considered the flooding as the worst flood to hit Cagayan Valley in 40 years and believed to have a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods across the region.

Aside from Cagayan Valley, the typhoon also affected the National Capital Region (NCR), several parts of Central Luzon, the province of Rizal, and some areas in Bicol. A total of 69 people were killed as of this writing as authorities continue to receive reports from stricken areas in Luzon.

Meanwhile, Lambino on Monday also inspected the condition of various ongoing infrastructure projects inside the Special Economic Zone and Freeport in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

During the inspection, the secretary was accompanied by Mayor Nelson Robinion of Sta. Ana and some investors, visited different sites of ongoing infrastructures inside the freeport that when finished will lure potential investors and locators.