REELECTED Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez and the Tingog Party-list have mobilized immediate hot meal assistance and started preparing relief operations to families affected by severe flooding in parts of Metro Manila as heavy rains continue to swamp the capital region.
The relief drive came in response to widespread flooding triggered by days of intense monsoon rains compounded by Typhoon Crising, which caused flooding as well as the Marikina River to swell past alert levels the past few days and prompted preemptive evacuations in low-lying areas.
In Barangay Malanday, Marikina City, a total of 989 families or around 2,400 individuals were forced to evacuate.
Tingog volunteers, in coordination with local partners, served hot chicken sopas to evacuees.
“Maraming naapektuhan at gutom ang pangunahing concern ng mga kababayan natin. Kaya minadali namin ang pagpadala ng hot meals, and this is just the start. Mas marami pa tayong relief missions sa darating na mga araw,” Rep. Romualdez, the Speaker of the 19th Congress, said.
In Quezon City, 766 families sought refuge at the Bagong Silangan Elementary School evacuation center as floodwaters rose in the area. The office of Rep. Romualdez, working with Tingog, Quezon City Rep. Ralph Tulfo, and Barangay Councilor Jun Quizon, organized hot meal distribution on Monday night.
The Speaker said the initiative reflects their commitment to swift and localized disaster response, especially in high-risk areas frequently hit by typhoons, fire or flooding.
“Hindi lang ito tungkulin ng gobyerno. Lahat tayo may papel, mula sa barangay hanggang sa Kongreso, hanggang sa ordinaryong mamamayan. We encourage everyone to help in any way they can,” Rep. Romualdez added.
Meanwhile in the City of Manila, floodwaters and a simultaneous fire incident affected 120 families in Barangay 420, Zone 43, Nagtahan.
Tingog provided cups of hot lugaw to evacuees, with coordination assistance from Manila Rep. Giselle Maceda and Barangay Secretary Nimfa Domingo.
The relief teams were deployed swiftly after alerts from partner barangays, with coordination support from local government units and the district offices of Reps. Teodoro, Tulfo and Maceda.
As of late Monday evening, many areas in Metro Manila remained under water, with flood warnings still in place in multiple cities due to sustained monsoon rains.
Tingog said that more food distribution and relief packs are in the pipeline for other affected communities, especially in areas flagged by disaster officials for prolonged inundation or displacement.
