Vice President Leni Robredo is heading to areas in the southern and central Philippines that were battered by typhoon Odette to check relief operations, her office said Friday.
Robredo has left Manila for Bohol, one of the areas where Odette made landfall on Thursday, said her spokesman lawyer Barry Gutierrez.
He said the Vice President also planned to visit Leyte, Surigao, Cebu, and Negros provinces.
“We know that VP’s approach is hands-on, so she plans to go to areas that were hit by the storm, to see first-hand and talk to the affected people, and ensure the assistance that we could give them,” Gutierrez told reporters.
Robredo has converted her election volunteer headquarters in Quezon City as a hub for relief operations, the Office of the Vice President announced.
The 2022 presidential contender said Thursday it was important for leaders to get on the ground and personally check the welfare of calamity survivors.
“It gives people courage because number one, you send the message that you will not neglect them. Number 2, if you are there, a lot can be done,” she said.
You can talk to the agencies from whom help is required to appear on site. Then the private sector, once they see you’re there and ask them for help, will be more willing to help because they know you know the situation on the ground,” Robredo said in a chance interview.
Other presidential contenders in the 2022 elections like Sen. Manny Pacquiao and former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have also mounted relief drives.