Village officials have cited a Cebu-based power firm for its PHP600,000 worth of disaster preparedness and medical equipment donated to the barangays in City of Naga, southern Cebu, reinforcing their capacity to respond to the ongoing pandemic and other natural calamities.
Neil Bartolabac, barangay chairperson of Tangke, Naga City, said Therma Power Visayas Inc. (TPVI), a unit of AboitizPower, handed out to his village the much-needed disaster preparedness tools including diesel-powered generators, stretchers, first-aid kits, and gas masks, among others.
He said the village’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) personnel have been participating in related trainings but they lack the budget to buy the necessary equipment.
He noted that since their barangay is situated in the mountainside, it is more prone to landslides, especially during typhoons and earthquakes.
“We thank TPVI for its support. We commit to continue capacitating our barangay DRRM personnel by organizing more learning sessions and DRRM training,” Bartolabac said in a statement.
In October, TPVI also donated medical supplies and equipment to Barangays Tangke and Colon, just 3 kilometers north of the former. The donations include assorted medicine and vitamins, blood pressure monitors, temperature scanners, oximeters, face masks and shields, and disinfectants, among others.
“These supplies will be helpful to Nagahanons with comorbidities as they are the most vulnerable to Covid-19. Our health workers conduct regular health status monitoring on those with comorbidities through house visits,” Barangay Colon chairman Jeffrey James Saya-ang said.
TPVI operates a 39.2-megawatt diesel power plant housed within the Naga Power Plant Complex along the national highway in Colon.
Jonas Ariel Fabella, AboitizPower oil business unit assistant vice president for operations and maintenance in the Visayas, said as the firm operates, they hope to contribute to the local government’s efforts to keep the City of Naga vital and strong.
“We do this through our direct remittances and various corporate social responsibility programs in line with our promise of advancing business and communities,” Fabella said. (PNA)
