LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will visit on Tuesday (Aug. 26, 2008), this province, one of the eight provinces in Northern Luzon heavily-damaged by ”Typhoon Karen” recently.
The President upon her arrival at the Laoag International Airport early afternoon tomorrow will immediately proceed to the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel here to convene the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Cabinet level group to get an update on the extent of the damage wrought by Karen in the province as well as the humanitarian assistance and early recovery and rehabilitation measures already in place for some 458 barangays in Ilocos Norte.
On hand to give the President a briefing are Defense Secretary and NDCC Chair Gilbert Teodoro, Jr., Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, DepEd Officer-in-Charge Vilma Labrador and Philippine National Red Cross Secretary-General Alma de Leon.
Ilocos Norte local government officials led by Gov. Michael Keon, Laoag City Mayor Michael Farinas and Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Roque Ablan will also brief the President on the damage left by Karen in the province.
Also, on top of the agenda of the NDCC meeting is an update on Typhoon Cosme rehabilitation programs in the province.
Typhoon Cosme earlier this year also wrought havoc on the province.
Evacuation of displaced persons in the on-going military hot pursuit operations against rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the giving of humanitarian assistance to them are also on top the agenda of the NDCC meeting.
The following day, Wednesday, the President will distribute ”goodies” to the affected residents of the municipality of Dingras, the hardest hit by Typhoon Karen with around 3,500 families affected and an estimated P2.0 billion worth of crops damaged and an estimated P13.0 million worth of damage to infrastructures.
At the Saludares-Cali Elem. School, the President will lead in the distribution of 100 bags of white corn seeds and various vegetable seeds, 150 bags of certified rice seeds, five boxes of assorted medicines, 50 post disaster kits (that include hypochloride solution, water jugs, mosquito nets and insecticides) against diarrhea, dengue and malaria, and 100 out of the 1,156 food packs, consisting of three kilos of rice, cans of corned beef and sardines.
The Department of Education will also feed 300 pupils of the Saludares-Cali Elementary School with malunggay-enriched noodles.
A medical mission will also be conducted for the typhoon victims.
Typhoon Karen with international codename Nuri, brought strong winds and heavy rains in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and the Cordillera Region, leaving eight people dead and over P6 million worth of damage in infrastructures.
As of Friday last week, the NDCC reported typhoon Karen wrought havoc to 229 villages in Northern Luzon.
