Restorations in business districts should be prioritized – DTI

Power, water, and telecommunications services restoration should be prioritized in business districts that are damaged by the typhoon Odette, said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez.
In a phone message to BusinessWorld, Lopez stated that the “damage to transmission lines was severe and it will take days or weeks, but the government and private operators are working 24/7 to restore power as early as possible and bring food and water to affected areas on a sustained basis.”
Lopez also noted that President Rodrigo Duterte, along with his Cabinet members, “have been visiting the affected areas to have first-hand appreciation of the problems and to bring relief and solutions.”
He added that energy companies have “tripled their efforts to restore power and it is partially getting back.”
The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), meanwhile, said that their top agenda this time is to keep people safe and provide food, water, fuel, power supply, stable connection, and shelter.
IBPAP CEO Jack Madrid added that they have helped their member companies in finding hotel accommodations for their employees, charter a plane for the delivery of relief goods, and lead a donation drive for the affected areas.