While Tacloban City is down, other areas in Region 8 eyed as alternate distribution hubs

CEBU, Philippines - Business players from Tacloban City and Cebu City concurred for a call of action from the government to protect the secondary cities in Eastern Visayas and to prevent lawless elements from spreading the chaos and damage in the entire region.

If businessman Mario Panganiban were to describe, Tacloban City is considered to be the regional center of Eastern Visayas as it serves to be the hub for trading, financial, logistics, education and religion.

“It is the center of everything. Most businesses have their headquarters housed, stocks kept, and money deposited,” he said.

Eastern Visayas, officially known as Region 8, is reportedly the worst-hit area in the country after super typhoon Yolanda ravaged the country last November 8.

It is composed of six provinces namely Biliran with Naval as its capital, Eastern Samar with Borongan as its capital, Northern Samar with Catarman as its capital, Samar that is formerly known as Western Samar with Catbalogan City as its capital, Southern Leyte with Maasin City as its capital and Leyte with Tacloban City as its capital.

But since Tacloban is currently down, Panganiban said that support on the secondary trading centers such as Ormoc should be considered at present.

“Many businesses operate through its satellite offices. It will reduce pressure from the Tacloban City,” he said who also acts as the vice president for business development of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He added that other areas in Region 8 could be eyed as alternative distribution hubs for relief goods and assistance for the typhoon victims. 

The business community in Tacloban earlier raised their concerns that the rampant looting incidents in the city might have been initiated by organized, armed groups.

Panganiban who owns a distribution business company that has branches in Region 8 reported that three of his warehouses located in Tacloban were ransacked. He said they have lost their stocks of goods good for three to four weeks.

He warned other manufacturers and distributors in the region to be alert for looters who might spread in other areas, and reminded groups conducting relief distributions to be careful in Eastern Visayas.

Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry secretary Andrew Ng suggested that more security forces should be deployed to safeguard installations, gas stations, oil depots, warehouses and other structures in the region to prevent the looters from attacking the rest of Eastern Visayas.

“What we feared that if Tacloban is down, so many towns in the region may also be affected. What we are seeing in Tacloban might spread in other cities. We have to save the entire Region 8,” he said.

Ng who also owns a distribution company left Tacloban with his family through a private plane and arrived in Cebu last Monday.

About P40 to P50 million worth of products have been ransacked in his warehouse after the typhoon.

Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Philip Tan said that the looting incidents happening now are out of context since they do not justify hunger as an excuse from rummaging through other properties aside from food and water.

He also urged the government to consider protecting businesses since the latter play a significant role in the economy of the country.  

“If you do not value the businessmen, nothing will happen in the economy. It cannot run without us,” he said.

Spillover Effect

He further lamented on the spillover effect to Cebu businesses of what is happening in region 8. He cited that some of the local businesses in Cebu who provide supplies to the Eastern Visayas may not be able to receive payments for the goods that the latter had made before the typhoon struck.

Dionisio Luna, another businessman in Tacloban, encouraged suppliers particularly dressed chicken and processed meat not to raise prices drastically and suggested they maintain stable supply of goods.

“Just like other businessmen, I hope for the immediate improvement of the region. It may take at least a year to recover but we will recover. We should not be complacent and continue to ensure the security of our lives and properties,” he said.

Jean Marechaux, community service director of the Rotary Club of Cebu Fort San Pedro, noted that Tacloban needs a long-term security to prevent the chaos and recover from the calamity.

“I know it will take long for us to rebuild what Tacloban has been before from what it has become now. We need food, we need water. We need security,” he said.

Marechaux who has been living in the country for 25 years to conduct community outreach projects of the club narrated to the Cebu media how grave the devastation that was brought about typhoon Yolanda.

“Tacloban was erased from the map. Dead bodies, whether they may be cadavers of humans and animals, are all over the road. The town smells bad. Food and water are lacking. I  even had no choice but to pay P1 000 to be able to buy three small-sized mineral bottles. There are a lot of people starving and they are angry,” he shared. /JOB (FREEMAN)