Albay Governor Grex Lagman praised Albayanos as he reported updates on response operations amid the unrest of Mayon Volcano.
In a conference spearheaded by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF) Committee on Disaster Resilience (CDR), Lagman reported that about 5,776 families, equivalent to 20,184 individuals, were evacuated in about 34 temporary shelters spread all over the province.
The governor asked the prospective donors for help the evacuees needed the most after he relayed the salient points of Albay’s disaster response based on the data provided by the experts and how the province is coping with the extrusive-strombolian eruption by Mayon.
In a Facebook post, Lagman said his administration cannot just dramatize the situation of the evacuees to gain donors.
“As Albay’s father, I don’t want anyone to pity us. It is not my policy to dramatize the plight of our evacuees.”
“As Albay’s father, I don’t want anyone to pity us. It is not my policy to dramatize the plight of our evacuees,” he stressed.
Instead, it should be driven by and referred to the facts provided by the experts as well as the key department heads, as they are on the front lines in assessing and providing for the needs of evacuees.
“I believe that reason and science should temper every temptation to overreact and present the ‘direst of pictures’ just to get donations at all costs without reference to actual facts,” Lagman said.
“Alarmists, histrionics and their ilk have no place in good governance. We are not a charity case.”
“Alarmists, histrionics and their ilk have no place in good governance. We are not a charity case. All my province mates are strong and resilient in the face of adversity. This, in essence, captures the overriding philosophy of my administration that is built on #AlbayMatibay,” he added.
