PNP staging point hastens delivery of aid

MANILA, Philippines - The processing and staging points put up by the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Simeon Ola in Legazpi City, Albay has significantly hastened the transport and delivery of aid and relief goods to storm-ravaged Eastern Samar.

Bicol regional police commander Chief Superintendent Victor Deona said the procedure was approved by multi-agencies concerned, resulting in the decongestion of Matnog port in Sorsogon.

Deona said relief convoys are now being processed at Camp Ola and they no longer need to undergo the same procedure in Matnog port.

“From Camp Ola, convoys of minimum of 10 truckloads of relief goods and essential items are immediately released and issued clearance for priority loading in coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) personnel at Matnog,” Deona said.

Deona said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) approved this in the effort to solve the bottleneck at Matnog port, the gateway to Samar and Leyte.

After Typhoon Yolanda struck Samar and Leyte last Nov. 8, the response to calls for help to assist the storm-devastated victims has been enormous, that in the absence of military cargo planes to fly the relief goods to the two ravaged islands, donors have to transport their relief goods via Matnog port, in the process creating monstrous traffic that at one point resulted in a 10-kilometer gridlock.

Deona said the situation became very chaotic that concerned authorities, including the police whose primary role is to maintain traffic, had to step in.

However, the action was criticized in social media, which accused the police of human rights violations for reportedly holding off the flow of relief goods from Luzon to Eastern Visayas.

Deona denied reports that the police were exacting illegal fees from the truckers transporting relief goods for Samar and Leyte.

Relief convoys from Manila are being escorted by a police contingent before these are turned over to the Bicol police upon reaching Legazpi City.

The PNP processing and staging point at Camp Ola was moved yesterday along the highway leading to Matnog to further ease the burden of truckers transporting relief goods, as they are no longer required to enter the police camp.

Deona said the staging and processing points are now in the highways leading to Legazpi City, which are being maintained by the regional police.

Other staging points, which also serve as control points of relief convoys and passenger vehicles bound for Samar and Leyte, are currently located in Sorsogon City, Casiguran, Irosin, Juban and at the junction of Bulan and in Matnog.

As of yesterday, the congestion in Matnog port is already easing as truckers and private vehicles are now being accommodated at the Bulan port which opened last Monday.

Navy transport ships are now handling huge priority cargoes for Samar and Leyte.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II gave assurance of a steady supply of food and relief goods to Eastern and Central Visayas.

“If last week we were distributing water by glass, then by dipper, now by pail and continuous until by drum,” said Roxas.

Roxas said most areas in Samar and Leyte and other typhoon-hit regions have entered the recovery stage as local businesses started to reopen.

On the other hand, major seaports and airports in provinces ravaged by Yolanda continued to begin normal operations almost two weeks after the disaster.

“Despite limited operations owing to the damage brought about by the typhoon to equipment, ports were opened immediately after Yolanda,” said Juan Sta. Ana, general manager of the PPA.

Except for Guiuan and Estancia ports, Sta. Ana said almost all ports within the Leyte, Samar, Iloilo, Bicol and Palawan regions have all returned to normal operations, including Tacloban and Ormoc.

“Our ports are now ready to accept containerized and break-bulk cargo, including Ro-Ro operations,” he added.

The ports that resumed normal operations include the baseport of Tacloban, Ormoc as well as the terminal ports in Baybay, Hilongos, Maasin in Leyte, Culasi in Iloilo and Coron in Palawan. Estancia in Iloilo has partial operations while Guiuan is limited only to beaching operations. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Lawrence Agcaoili