Food aid sought by ‘ Tisoy’ survivors in Sorsogon

MATNOG, Sorsogon: Residents of the typhoon-stricken town of Matnog in Sorsogon province are appealing for food, water and housing assistance as majority of them were left homeless and needed to walk 7 kilometers to get water after Typhoon “Tisoy” barreled through the Bicol Region a week ago.

Lorna Florano, a member of the barangay (village) police of Banuang-Daan in Matnog, is going around the village to inform the people badly affected by the typhoon to proceed to the resort of Barangay Chairman Celema Morata-So as the Ako Bicol party-list group will be giving relief goods there.

Most of the houses in the coastal village were flattened by Tisoy.

The homeless residents belonging to 100 families were trying to put up temporary shelters after they left an evacuation center.

Matnog is composed of 20 villages and depends on farming and fishing for its livelihood.

“We’re hoping and appealing for clean water, food and housing assistance for our villagers badly affected by the typhoon,” Florano said.

Her house and that of her brother were destroyed by the typhoon, but she and her 96-year-old mother were able to find shelter.

Aside from walking for a few kilometers, Barangay Banuang Daan villagers also need to pay P20 for a container of clean drinking water.

Food packs were distributed in Barangay Banuang-Daan, 170 families; Santa Isabel, 200 families; Tablac, 370 families; and Majumlad, 260 families.

Jan Arthur Primo, a member of Matnog’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said 8,499 households were affected by Typhoon Tisoy with one casualty.

He added that a total of 38 hectares planted to rice were affected; corn, 8 hectares; and high value crops, 79 hectares.

At least 1,558 houses were destroyed and 6,846 others were partly damaged, Primo said.