Ni NOEL ABUEL
Nanawagan si Senador Juan Miguel F. Zubiri sa mga kumakandidatong pulitiko na i-donate na lamang ang isang buwang gastos ng mga ito sa kanilang political advertisement para ibigay sa mga biktima ng nagdaang bagyong Odette.
Sinabi ni Zubiri na nalulungkot ito nang magtungo sa mga lalawigang sinalanta ng bagyong Odette at personal kung saan naghatid ito ng bigas, groceries, tubig, face masks, at tents, na binili gamit ang mga personal na pondo na orihinal nitong inilaan para sa kanyang badyet sa advertising bilang kandidato sa pagkasenador para sa nalalapit na eleksyon.
“As soon as we saw how Typhoon Odette ravaged Visayas and Mindanao, we decided we would hold off on a month of advertising so we can redirect our funds to purchasing relief goods for our people,” ani Zubiri.
“And I am appealing to my fellow candidates, whether for national or local posts, to do the same. I know that advertising is a huge part of everyone’s campaign right now, given the limited movement imposed by the ongoing pandemic, but these concerns are nothing compared to how our people are hungry and homeless in Visayas and Mindanao. They need all the help that we can give,” panawagan nito.
Bago ang Pasko at pagkatapos ng Bagong Taon, nagtungo si Zubiri sa Visayas at Mindanao para personal na maghatid ng 3,200 limampung kilong sako ng bigas; 3,800 grocery pack; 500 five-gallon jugs ng mineral water, 1,200 evacuation tent; at 50,000 face mask sa siyam na lalawigan at anim na lungsod at munisipalidad, kabilang ang Agusan del Norte, Butuan City, Surigao del Norte, Iloilo Province, Iloilo City, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City, Kabankalan City, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro City, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands, at Siargao Island.
“We first came headed out to Visayas and Mindanao just a few days before Christmas, and we saw how much our people still needed, in terms of basic necessities like food and water. So we knew we had to come back to bring more help,” sabi ng senador.
“We were in Dinagat and Siargao, and the damage is unbelievable. Anything that hasn’t been reduced to rubble has, at a minimum, been stripped of roofing. Not just houses—even schools, clinics, government offices. Agricultural fields have been destroyed. Entire sectors of livelihoods are gone. There’s a lot to be done in terms of finding long-term solutions and funding recovery and rehabilitation efforts, and we are working on those,” dagdag pa nito.
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