Navy Cleans Up Ondoy’s Mess in Sta Mesa

By: LIEUTENANT COLONEL EDGARD A AREVALO PN(M)
Director, Naval Public Affairs Office

Thursday, 01 October 2009

The Philippine Navy mobilized its personnel for a massive clean-up drive in Old Sta Mesa, Manila yesterday morning, 30 September 2009. Armed with assorted cleaning gears, the Navy also brought two firetrucks, five M35 trucks, and an ambulance.

Team Navy composed of 35 officers, 463 enlisted personnel, with three medical officers assisted residents of Zone 59, 6th District, Old Sta Mesa in cleaning up the piles of garbage and debris in the aftermath of “Ondoy.” The Navy also assisted residents in the adjacent barangays of San Juan, Progreso, and Batis. Navy personnel hauled the volume of garbage from residential homes to nearby thoroughfares for easier loading into garbage trucks. The Navy also hosed down the streets after it was free from garbage. At the height of the typhoon, floodwaters reached as high as 4 meters deep.

At 1:45 pm, the medical team rushed a resident, Mr Rufino Jutohot to the nearest hospital after he collapsed while helping in the clean-up. Mr Jutohot was reportedly suffering from diabetes and high-blood pressure. The activity which was finished past 5pm significantly reduced the volume of trash and garbage in the streets and main thoroughfares.

REAR ADMIRAL DANILO M CORTEZ, Vice Commander, Philippine Navy and REAR ADMIRAL FELICIANO A ANGUE, Chief of Naval Staff personally supervised the activity as part of the Navy’s efforts to help alleviate the plight of “Ondoy” victims. The activity at Sta Mesa is the Navy’s contribution to the AFP’s massive clean-up drive where the Army was sent to clean up Marikina, Air Force to Pasig, and GHQ to Cainta.