MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis Tolentino has been recognized for his service as chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) during the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
During ceremonies commemorating the typhoon in Tacloban on Wednesday, President Marcos acknowledged Tolentino’s contribution during rescue and relief operations for Yolanda victims.
“Si Senator Francis Tolentino, MMDA siya, napakalayo po, but the first heavy equipment that arrived in Tacloban was the MMDA heavy equipment. Nauna pa sila sa lahat ng government agencies,” Marcos said.
Speaker Martin Romualdez said Tolentino” almost lost his life” when he spent time in Tacloban.
“Your presence and the resources that you brought with you were critical in our recovery,” Romualdez said.
Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez said Tolentino” brought so much help” to the city.
For his part, Tolentino said the experience from Yolanda is a reminder that it is a duty of public servants to ensure that the losses during the typhoon will never happen again.