PNP top brass brings aid to eastern Visayas cops

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima on Friday led the turnover of cash and non-cash aid to PNP personnel affected by supertyphoon Yolanda in eastern Visayas.

Traveling to Police Regional Office 8 in  Camp Kangleon, Palo, Leyte, Purisima, along with other PNP top brass, officially handed over the 4,250 individual aid packs to more or less 3,187 affected uniformed and non-uniformed personnel in PRO 8.

Each pack contains three kilos of rice, canned goods, water and clothes.

The affected PNP personnel also received a number of athletic shirt, camouflage green, combat boots, black and athletic socks, and blankets.

Some construction materials will also be given to help them rebuild their homes and offices which were also totally damaged.

The PNP has raised a total of P3.7 million cash donations from PNP Regional Offices, National Support Units and stakeholders.

Purisima also thanked the leadership of the National Capital Region Police Office, Police Regional Office Cordillera, PRO CARAGA, PRO 9, Police Security Protection Group, and Intelligence Group who led in collecting in-cash donations from their respective personnel.

The PNP Health Service also sent 34 boxes of medicines and medical supplies together with the three doctors, six psychologists, five nurses, and five aidmen to provide medical assistance to treat all injured personnel and to help the rest in their post-traumatic needs.

The Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association Inc. also provided  P4 million for affected members of PNP and AFP in Leyte and Samar.

The Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund Inc. also released the initial insurance benefits for the orphaned families of six PNP members who died in the calamity, amounting to P71,000 each.

P5,000 each will be released to the initial 907 PSMBFI members who are affected by the calamity. 

PSMBFI also donated two generator sets, two units of water purifier system, medicine, vitamins and other medical supplies as well as computer equipment for the satellite office of Regional Finance Office 8.

Meanwhile, the PNP's leading financial service provider, Public Safety Savings and Loan Associated Inc. has increased the amount of its calamity loan from P50,000 to P100,00, and extended the payment period to three years at the reduced rate of only four percent to nine percent.

The PSSLAI Calamity Loan can be availed of by PSSLAI members nationwide.

The Provident Fund provided a calamity loan with a maximum of P30,000.00 at zero percent interest rate and emergency loan with a maximum of P50,000 at three percent interest rate for affected members.

PNP recorded six confirmed PNP casualties and 15 injured in Region 8.

Two more policemen remain unaccounted in Eastern Visayas where a total of 6,271 personnel were affected.

Fourteen dependents of PNP personnel were also among those killed in the typhoon.