MANILA, August 9, 2012?More than 13,000 individuals staying in evacuation centers in Zambales are waiting for relief efforts from government and its agencies.
Displaced by the torrential rains and floods over the past few days, the evacuees are hoping the government will be able to bring them relief goods to tide them over.
The Catholic church in Iba, meantime has extended partial assistance to the displaced residents providing them rice, canned goods and noodles.
But the staff of Iba Diocesan Social Action Center also admitted that they can only do so much.
“We cannot afford to give everyone their needs because we also have limited resources,” a staff from the Social Action Center said.
The SAC staff visited public school sites in Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Mercelino, San Antonio, Castillejos, Subic and Olongapo City to check on the conditions of evacuees.
Among the most needed items of evacuees are sleeping mats, blankets and some medicines, according to the SAC staff.
In Metro Manila, at least 1,000 families staying temporarily at the Holy Family Parish in Roxas district of Cubao diocese are in need of food, according to Fr. Ronaldo Santos.
At San Antonio de Padua parish in San Francisco del Monte, some 800 families are temporarily staying while at Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon Avenue, there are still 300 families who have remained.
Evacuees who sought shelter at the Most Holy Redeemer parish in Masambong, Quezon City have already returned home.
The evacuees have yet to receive relief goods from the local and national government units, according to Santos. (Melo M. Acuna)
