Catanduanes Governor Joseph Cua appealed for donations of construction materials, such as roofing sheets, plywood, wood, and other supplies, to help rebuild homes damaged in the province by the recent onslaught of typhoon Pepito.
In an exclusive interview with DZRH's Damdaming Bayan on Tuesday, Cua also called for a moratorium from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to allow the use of fallen trees.
“Sana panawagan namin sa DENR [na] mabigyan kami ng moratorium sa mga natumbang kahoy para magamit ng ating mga kababayan para mapaaga yung pag aayos ng kanilang mga bahay," Cua said
The local official reported that, to date, over 4,000 homes have been recorded as totally damaged, while more than 2,000 have sustained partial damage from the heavy rain and strong winds experienced in the area.
He added that the areas most affected by the typhoon were the northern parts of Catanduanes, including the municipalities of Gigmoto, Viga, Panganiban, Bagamanoc, Pandan, and Caramoran.
"Kahit tinamaan kami ng super typhoon, malungkot kami pero of course nabubuhayan kami ng loob dahil parating ang ating presidente at kahit papaano ay baka may magandang balita na maiaabot na tulong sa ating lalawigan ng Catanduanes," said Cua.
Cua reported that the province recorded zero casualties, crediting the success of preemptive evacuation efforts carried out by uniformed personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and barangay officials.
Typhoon Pepito made landfall in Panganiban, Catanduanes on November 16, at 9:40 PM, accompanied by violent winds and heavy rainfall.
