AFP to fly relief teams to Tacloban City

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 9): AFP to fly relief teams to Tacloban City

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday announced that a C-130 "Hercules" cargo aircraft will be flying relief teams to Tacloban City, one of the areas hardest hit by super typhoon "Yolanda".

Major Angelo Guzman, AFP deputy public affairs office chief, said the plane will fly teams from the military and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and medical teams from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Aside from teams, the C-130 will also transport relief goods for the typhoon victims.

NDRRMC head Eduardo del Rosario and AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista are to take the flight.

"Yolanda" ripped through several parts of the country Friday, making landfall several times.

It is expected to exit the Philippine area of responsibility Saturday.

Meanwhile, offers of help from the international community are starting to come in, a day after the cyclone battered several parts of the country.

The Philippine Embassy in Washington on Friday night said Americans are giving offers of help including K-9 units and emergency power restoration facilities.

"Offers of assistance received by the Philippine Embassy from Americans include canine dogs and emergency power restoration services," it said on its Twitter account.

A Catholic group is also sending some 8,000 tarpaulins to Cebu City to help families affected by "Yolanda"

Catholic Relief Services also said its response teams are traveling to the areas hit hardest by the typhoon to determine what people there need.

“The pain of another disaster is devastating. We’re currently moving tarpaulins to Cebu City so that we can provide 8,000 families with inevitable shelter needs. Our response teams are traveling to the areas hardest hit to determine exactly what people need and how CRS can help them,” CRS’ regional director for Southeast Asia Greg Auberry said.

"Yolanda" on Friday swept through parts of Visayas and Luzon, disrupting power and communications.

CRS noted that for Cebu and Bohol, Yolanda occurred barely less than a month after a magnitude-7.2 quake jolted the Central Visayas region.

"Especially vulnerable are the roughly 281,000 people living in makeshift shelters and tents near their homes. Another 89,000 people are living in evacuation centers and spontaneous settlements. The typhoon will cross relatively close to Bohol with heavy rains," CRS said.

It added that it will work with local governments, Caritas partners and local parishes in the Philippines to maximize its response and recovery efforts.

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