Philippine gov't appeals to public not to panic in typhoon crisis

The Philippine government appealed to the public Sunday not to panic as more and more people are getting restless with the slow pace of restoring normalcy after the typhoon Xangsane hit Metro Manila and nearby areas.

The government also urged people not to hoard fuel, goods and other supplies, and assured them that authorities were working double time to restore power, attend to victims of typhoon Xangsane, locally known as Milenyo, and clean up the debris it left all over.

"We have to effect rapid normalization," President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told members of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and representatives from the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), National Transmission Corp. and other agencies concerned.

More than 50 percent of Metro Manila is still without electricity Sunday, three days after Xangsane hit the capital.

Arroyo said "our working time is (up to) Oct. 18, as regards full restoration of Metro Manila and other areas damaged by the typhoon".

Arroyo ordered that a 24-hour update be made by the government media entities - the National Broadcasting Network Channel 4 and Philippine Broadcasting Service Radyo ng Bayan - on the work being done by Meralco to restore power.

"They need to know where Meralco is now. It should be done by the hour," Arroyo said during the NDCC meeting in Malacanang presidential palace.

She said people could listen to the battery-operated radios if they could not watch television because of lack of electricity.

Communication companies are also having problems with their facilities, thus affecting cell phone and Internet services.

Arroyo even had to personally visit Sorsogon province north of Manila since the officials could not tell her through the phone as to what had been happening in the area.

Trade and Industry Peter Favila said the public must be aware that they would have electricity soon and that there was no need to "stock up" on gasoline and diesel.

"There are long queues in gasoline stations and people are buying by the drums for their generators. There is actually no need to do that," Favila said.

Arroyo said the public did not know about this and noted the lack of media updates on the developments, thus the tendency to panic.

The president said the government would see to it that supply of rice and other basic commodities would be enough and the relief goods would be in place on time.

Meralco President Jesus Francisco said the company would try to bring back electricity in Metro Manila this weekend but his promise failed to concretize.

Francisco reported to the President and the NDCC that the most problematic was the southern area because of the extent of damage caused by Milenyo in the areas such as Alabang, Batangas and Quezon.

There had been a power outage in two-thirds of Metro Manila since Thursday due to Milenyo, causing widespread breakdown of public life and plunged millions into darkness in the night.

Arroyo directed the Armed Forces, Philippine National Police ( PNP) and the local government units to ensure safety and security of the people due the possibility of crime incidents going up.

"We need the PNP and all the barangay tanod (village watchers) to keep their guard up because the electric wires are being stolen. They should secure the electric wires, transformers and electric posts," she said.

Source: Xinhua