Army arranging C-130 flight from Negros Oriental to Tacloban to airlift relief items

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 14): Army arranging C-130 flight from Negros Oriental to Tacloban to airlift relief items
 
The Philippine Army in Negros Oriental is coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to send a C-130 plane to Dumaguete to airlift relief goods for typhoon victims in Leyte.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Patrimonio, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, disclosed Thursday that he has recommended to the AFP Central Command in the Visayas for a possible first humanitarian flight out from Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental, to Tacloban, Leyte on Friday.

The initiative comes as many civic organizations, schools and other groups have requested for a free transport of the relief goods to Leyte to minimize travel cost to the typhoon-ravaged Eastern Visayas province, said Patrimonio.

According to the Army commander, who heads all Army units in Negros Oriental and the 5th district of Negros Occidental, Silliman University and the national TV network ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya in Dumaguete have already mobilized relief goods for Leyte.

Silliman University already has five tons of relief goods to include food, water, canned goods, clothing and rice; while ABS-CBN Dumaguete also has three tons.

A C-130 flight allows a maximum capacity of 13 tons. The Philippine Army commander is hoping that other groups who may want to avail of the free flight to Leyte are urged to pre-position their relief items once the arrival of the cargo plane here has been approved.

Patrimonio stressed that priority will be given to the transport of relief aid and they are discouraging people to board the military aircraft as it will not return to Dumaguete from Tacloban.

Patrimonio also encouraged donor groups to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the distribution of relief goods in Tacloban.

For those with pre-identified contacts in Tacloban, they can pick up the transported relief items at the Tacloban airport, he said.

Other groups who cannot catch up with the first C-130 flight out from Dumaguete to Tacloban are urged to prepare their relief items in the event of another humanitarian flight, hopefully by next week, he added.

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