SOLCOM, Team Albay sustain relief operations in "Yolanda" stricken areas

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 25): SOLCOM, Team Albay sustain relief operations in "Yolanda" stricken areas

CAMP GUILLERMO NAKAR, Lucena City -- "Team Albay," the joint team of volunteers and responders from the Albay local government unit (LGU) and the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM), is sustaining its humanitarian mission and disaster relief operations in Tacloban City and Samar province.

SOLCOM commander Lt. Gen. Caesar Ronnie F. Ordoyo reported Monday that 17 days after super typhoon "Yolanda" ravaged the Visayas and parts of the Bicol regions, their coordination and post-disaster operations in cooperation with the various government and private agencies continue.

"We continue our coordination with various agencies to hasten relief and humanitarian efforts for our affected countrymen," Ordoyo said in the vernacular.

SOLCOM troops observed that to date, thousands of typhoon "Yolanda" victims still desperately need help and cry for aid owing to the massive destruction in the Eastern Visayas region.

We need to unite and coordinate to overcome this crisis and help our countrymen rise up from this calamity, Ordoyo remarked as military troops and police forces hasten assistance to the devastated areas.

"Team Albay" is composed of soldiers from the Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NFSL), 2nd Infantry Battalion and 9th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Air Force-Tactical Operations Group 5 (TOG 5) and other stakeholders from Albay who immediately attended to the typhoon victims for close to 20 days now.

Members of the Team Albay were among the first emergency responders to conduct immediate search and retrieval operations.

Although Albay was also affected by the super storm, the provincial government dispatched its responders and volunteers who teamed up with the SOLCOM troops to prioritize the needs of the survivors.

Since last week's retrieval operations, Ordoyo said more than 200 cadavers were recovered by the team from under piles of debris, mud and those washed ashore in the typhoon-ravaged areas.

Team Albay also brought a water filtration machine and continues to distribute more than 378,000 liters of potable water to the residents of Tacloban City and neighboring localities.

Its medical team also continues to respond to the health needs of the victims while the rest are now engaged in relief and reconstruction operations.

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