DOLE to give typhoon-hit Surigao del Sur towns 30 boats

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Labor Department will give 30 fiberglass motorized boats to every municipality of Surigao del Sur following the onslaught of Tropical Storm Auring.

“Because I was informed by the governor that out of the 19 municipalities, 18 are coastal towns so we’re giving them 30 motorized fiber glass bancas,” Bello said in a televised briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night.

Bello said the Department of Labor and Employment will also tap 250 emergency workers for every municipality.

“While waiting for the boats, we will give each mayor an accreditation of 250 workers who will be given emergency employment for 10 days so that they can be paid the minimum wage in the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said there was no damage to energy infrastructure due to the weather disturbance.

He added that the power supply in most municipalities was restored.

Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said a total of 31,884 families in Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, and Bicol Regions were affected by Auring.

A total of 18,996 families in Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and Western Visayas were evacuated from their homes due to the threat of Auring.

In the Caraga and Davao Regions, at least 60 houses were damaged while 180 were partially damaged.

A total of 12 roads and one bridge were affected by the weather disturbance in the Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Davao Regions, the NDRRMC said. — DVM, GMA News