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As flood waters rose, many residents in lowland barangays were evacuated by the local government.
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TVIRD personnel who were evacuated themselves prepared and immediate relief to townsfolk who were rescued and brought to the Evacuation Center.
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Full detail. Company employees in full force prepared food packs for distribution to families affected by the heavy flood that hit Bayog last November 16. These food packs were distributed to residents the following day.
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TVIRD personnel prepared food packs and distributed to 1,377 affected families from lowland barangays in Bayog.
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The Emergency Response team delivered relief goods right into the homes of families affected by the flood.
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TVIRD’s Safety Officer Kurt Zion Torres personally delivered relief goods to flood victims who met the team outside their homes.
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The combined ‘relief team’ of TVIRD and the local government work hand-in-hand to provide immediate relief to affected townfolk in times of natural calamities.
Bayanihan in times of calamity
Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur / December 2021 – The Filipino’s bayanihan spirit of unity and cooperation was experienced once again by this town’s residents who were badly hit by the strong floods and incessant rains brought by a low-pressure area (LPA) off Surigao del Sur last November 16. At 8:00 in the evening, local government service vehicles were ordered by Mayor Celso Matias to brave the flooded streets and rescue residents from lowland barangays.
Sirens alerted people to evacuate while Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) vehicles plied the thigh-deep floods to rescue stranded citizens and bring them to the town’s evacuation center, including employees of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) who were holed-up at its Triple A facility. Later in the evening, LGU personnel were joined by TVIRD’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) to assist in the rescue operation.
Anxious of the rising water, a lot of residents voluntarily evacuated, according to MDRRMO’s Engr. Cirilo Carcueva. As evacuees began arriving at the gymnasium, the TVIRD team served them hot coffee, bread and biscuits that they themselves prepared. Over 500 evacuees were immediately accommodated.
The TVIRD team rested for a few hours and prepared lugaw (porridge) for the evacuees at past 3:00 AM. The evacuees eventually went home when the flood subsided in the morning.
Partnership with Government
It was a rare sight to see as people cleared their homes of mud and debris the following day while both teams from the LGU and TVIRD provided assistance to the flood victims.
The staff of Second District Congressman Leonardo Babasa began distributing food packs to town residents while the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) coordinated the relief effort that brought food packs right to the homes of affected families.
For its part, TVIRD also distributed food packs after top management delegated personnel from different departments into Bayog to handle food packing. Sacks of rice were immediately procured from rice suppliers, canned goods from local groceries as well as coffee and bottled water.
Mayor Matias allowed the team to use the gymnasium for food packing and provided the assistance of the Bayog PNP who did not leave the venue until the last pack of food was prepared.
A total of 1,377 affected families from lowland barangays of the town received food packs from TVIRD.
“I sincerely thank TVI for these food packs. It helped my constituents in their hour of need,” Mayor Matias said when Community Relations Officer Lope Dizon went to his office for coordination. Residents and purok leaders likewise expressed their appreciation for the company’s swift response.
The LPA brought continuous rains that overwhelmed parts of Sibugay River and brought heavy flood waters into the lowland barangays, killing farm animals and submerged an estimated 100 hectares of rice lands and corn fields. Waters from Dipili and Depore Rivers – which run through TVIRD’s mining area – were kept at bay.
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