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PRESIDENT MACAPAGAL-ARROYO IN CABATUAN, ILOILO

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with American soldier sent by President Bush to help the victims of typhoon and to assist AFP for the rescue and relief operation.
Photo by Jerry Carual / PCPO

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo distributing relief goods for the victim of typoon Frank at Iloilo International Airport.
Photo by Jerry Carual / PCPO

President GloriaMacapagal Arroyo preside the NDCC Cabinet meeting at the Conference room of Iloilo Airport.
Photo by Jerry Carual / PCPO

(July 1, 2008) JOINT CABINET AND NDCC MEETING -- President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo presides over the joint Cabinet and National Disaster Coordinating Council meeting at the Ilo-Ilo International Airport conference room to discuss the ongoing rehabilitation and relief efforts in typhoon-damaged areas of Panay Island. Also in photo are DOF Sec. Margarito Teves and DA Sec. Arthur Yap.
Photo by Exequiel Supera / NIB-OPS

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo presides over the joint Cabinet and National Disaster Coordinating Councel (NDCC) meeting at Ilo-Ilo Airport to discuss the ongoing rehabilitation and relief efforts in typhoon-damaged areas of Panay Island ( Tuesday, July 1, 2008). Also in photo are DPWH Sec. Hermogenes Ebdane, DTI Sec. Peter Fabela, DOF Sec. Margarito Teves, Executive Sec. Eduardo Ermita, DND Sec. Gilberto Teodoro, DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzalez, and DA Sec. Arthur Yap. The president is in Ilo-Ilo to conduct the distribution of relief goods to families affected of typhoon Frank
Photo by Exequiel Supera / OPS NIB

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo receives from Chairman Nam Ho Cho of HHIC a P1.2 million donation on Friday (July 4) for victims of Typhoon Frank through the Philippine National Red Cross at Green Beach, Redondo Peninsula, Sitio Agusahun, Brgy. Cawag, Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Also shown is Sen. Richard Gordon, PNRC chairman. (Edwin Paril-OPS/NIB Photo)

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issues instructions to National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chairman Glenn Rabonza during the National Disaster Council Meeting on the effects of typhoon Frank on the populace and environment held at the Department of National Defence Building at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City (June 21). (Marcelino Pascua-OPS/NIB Photo)

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo listens as PAGASA makes situation report on the movements and effects of typhoon Frank during the National Disaster Council Meeting held at the Department of National Defence Building at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City (NDCC) (June 21). Shown with her are NDCC Chairman Glenn Rabonza (left) and DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral (right). (Marcelino Pascua-OPS/NIB Photo)

U.S. - RP JOINT HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR COMMUNITIES ON PANAY ISLAND. Vice Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council Anthony Golez (Deputy Presidential Spokesman) along with sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan Aircraft Carrier Group (CVN 76) and Philippine military personnel unload bottled water and food supplies that were distributed to various communities on Panay Island by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
U.S. Embassy photo 6/26/2008

U.S. Embassy photo

U.S. AID: Senator Mar Roxas (second from left) welcomes United States troops aiding in relief efforts for the provinces in the Western Visayas, which was hardest hit by typhoon “Frank.” The Senator is active in relief and rehabilitation efforts in Aklan, Capiz, Antique and Iloilo, and has discussed with local officials short-term and long-term plans for the provinces to recover. With Roxas is (left) Vice-President Noli De Castro.
Philippine Senate photo

PGMA to preside over joint Cabinet-NDCC meeting in Iloilo Tuesday
PIA Press Release, 2008/06/29

Iloilo City (29 June) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will preside over the joint Cabinet and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting on Tuesday here to discuss the ongoing rehabilitation and relief efforts in typhoon-damaged areas of Panay Island.

Before the start of the joint Cabinet-NDCC meeting at the NEDA compound in Fort San Pedro here, the President is also expected to conduct an aerial inspection of typhoon-affected areas in Iloilo province that include the towns of Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara and Pavia.

As of June 28, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC-6) has reported 322 deaths and 288 persons still missing mostly in Panay Island.

The RDCC reported that damage to property has reached P234.5 million, infrastructure at P1.53 billion, and agriculture at P1.38 billion.

Even while in the United States, the President has been issuing directives via video tele-conferences with her Cabinet members and NDCC officials to alleviate the damage wrought by Typhoon Frank in Region 6 including in the search and rescue efforts relative to MV Princess of the Stars which sank off the coast of Sibuyan island in Romblon.

The President has also expressed her gratitude to the United States which, at present, has stationed a naval vessel in Miag-ao and currently helping airlift relief goods to affected areas in the whole Panay Island. (PIA)

PGMA to conduct aerial inspection of typhoon Frank-devastated areas of Iloilo Tuesday
PIA Press Release, 2008/06/29

Iloilo City (29 June) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to conduct an aerial inspection Tuesday of the areas devastated by typhoon Frank around here before presiding over the regular Tuesday Cabinet meeting at the regional offices of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) at the Fort San Pedro here.

The said Cabinet meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Digos City, Davao del Sur – which is celebrating its 41st founding anniversary -- but the President had the venue transferred here so she could have more time to inspect the damage wrought by howler Frank.

Internationally codenamed Fengshen for "god of the wind," the super typhoon – which capsized the MV Princess of the Stars, the jewel vessel of Sulpicio Lines, in the rough waters off Romblon – also poured down double the normal rainfall here on that fateful weekend over June 20-22 (Friday to Sunday).

The President shall fly over the towns of Alimondian, Cabatuan, Sta. Barbara and Pavia.

From the Presidential chopper to be flown by Major Nelson Morales and Capt. Ignacio Ozar, President Arroyo shall see the wreckage of several bridges rendered impassable by Frank, including the President's Bridge in Alimodian, and the Imelda Marcos Bridge in Cabatuan.

With the Imelda Marcos Bridge cut in half and the other half now submerged, this city and the surrounding towns have no potable/pipe water. This because the main pipe of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD), which used to cross over the bridge, went down with the now-destroyed bridge portion.

A flight simulation conducted this afternoon by the Presidential Airlift Wing (PAW) with Presidential Assistant for Region VI Dr. Raul Banas, Presidential Management Staff (PMS) regional team leader Ruby Plagata and the Presidential News Desk (PND) on board also showed several areas still mired in mud a week after the unexpected flooding of a wide area along the banks of the then swollen Iloilo River.

The regional office of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here revealed that a total of 254 millimeters of rainfall fell on Iloilo that weekend as compared to the normal monthly mean of 190 millimeters of rainfall in the area over a 24-hour period.

The DENR added that a 1.8-meter high tide -- compounded by the fact that Iloilo only has 16 percent "watershed vegetation" – caused the flash flood that will go down as the worst flood ever in Iloilo's recent history.

As of yesterday, the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) for Western Visayas said a total 322 people died, 288 went missing, and 723 people were injured due to the strong rains and wind spawned by the super typhoon which caught residents unawares.

A total of P1.4 billion worth of agricultural produce were also laid to waste, while P1.5 billion worth of government infrastructure was destroyed, aside from P235 million worth of damage to private property in the region which covers Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City and Iloilo City. (PIA)