Noy to visit Ruby victims in Eastern Samar today

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino will visit today two municipalities in Eastern Samar where 18 people died and more than 900 others were injured when Typhoon Ruby devastated the province nearly three weeks ago.

Speaking over state-run radio dzRB yesterday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Aquino will visit Dolores and Borongan towns this morning to check the relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts of the government.

Reports said Dolores and Borongan were the municipalities hardest hit by Ruby in Eastern Visayas.

Aquino will land at Borongan airport at 9:30 a.m. today.

He will change aircraft for the trip to Dolores, where he is expected to arrive 20 minutes later.

Aquino will head for the Dolores Gymnasium in Barangay 12 Poblacion, where he will be met by Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo.

Aquino and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman will hand over the government’s cash for work program check amounting to P45.9 million that Villacarillo will receive.

The amount is good for 11,772  persons at P250 each for 15 working days.

A ceremonial distribution of shelter fixing and hygiene kits will also be made to 20 selected beneficiaries.

Shelter fixing kits contain a tarpaulin, tie wire, a 30-meter rope, an umbrella, and two to three kilos of common nails.

Additional hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the International Organization for Migration will also be distributed.

They contain three packs of sanitary napkin, two malongs, 12 pieces of bath soap, six pieces of toothbrush, two big toothpastes, one nail cutter, four bars of laundry soap, one diaper and a pail.

These are all for the “early recovery program launch” for victims of Ruby in Dolores and Borongan towns.

Distribution in Borongan will be held at the provincial capitol gymnasium in Barangay Alang-alang.

Borongan Mayor Maria Fe Abunda and Eastern Samar Gov. Conrado Nicart Jr. will also receive Aquino at the Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School where a motorcade will follow all the way to the provincial capitol gymnasium at 11 a.m.

Abunda will receive a check worth P68 million for her constituents.