The Philippine Liner Shipping Association has announced that it is offering the free transport of goods to areas that are hit hard by Typhoon Odette.
In a statement it relayed to Senator Francis Pangilinan, the association said that "in response to the need for continued transport of relief goods to families affected by Typhoon Odette, they have committed to offering free pier-to-pier transport of goods for the immediate needs of families."
Pangilinan told DZRH that the association is asking donors to pack their relief items properly by indicating the packages the destination ports, including Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Tagbilaran, Tacloban, and Puerto Princesa.
"Ito ay mahalaga dahil kailangan ng ating mga nasa isla na mag-transport. Lalo na dito sa Cebu at Bohol na wasak ang mga seacraft," he said.
(This is important because people in the islands need transportation. Especially here in Cebu and Bohol we seacrafts were destroyed.)
According to Pangilinan, 42 seacrafts ran aground in Cebu, where two sank in Lapu-Lapu City. In Mandaue, 54 seacrafts also ran aground, raising concerns of possible oil spill.
"Dahil wala na ang mga bapor, o nagkulang-julang na yung mga roro, hindi madala dito sa mga isla yung relief goods," he added.
(Because the seacrafts are gone, and there is a lack of roro, relief goods cannot be brought here.)
This is the case in Olango Island in Cebu, according to the senator, where he said 12,000 homes were destroyed but the aid residents receive remains inadequate.
"Mga dalawa o tatlo o apat na libo pa lang ang napadalang relief goods para sa mga pamilya dahil nga kulang ang transportasyon," he said.
(Only around two or three or four thousand relief goods have reached families because of lack of transportation.)
