FPRDI helps rebuild Visayas
FPRDI is helping rehabilitate the disaster-stricken Visayan provinces using the thousands of trees knocked down by super typhoon “Yolanda”.
The Institute has deployed a task force in Tacloban City, Leyte and Marabut, Eastern Samar which is working closely with DENR-Region VIII in converting the felled trees – many of which are coconut - into lumber. The lumber will be used to build temporary shelters and repair buildings.
“Aside from lending the Institute’s own units of mobile sawmill and chainsaw, the FPRDI has trained staff of the DENR and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the operation of these woodworking facilities,” explained For. Francisco G. Lapitan of FPRDI’s Technology Innovation Division.
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| The FPRDI mobile sawmill is used to process these coconut trunks into lumber of various lengths, widths and thicknesses. |
Lapitan said the task force is also helping in the chainsaw operation to cut felled trees that still clutter the roads.
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| The building of temporary houses is a priority for the thousands of homeless ‘Yolanda’ survivors. |
“FPRDI is one with the nation in helping our kababayans in the Visayas get back on their feet. We hope that the deployment of our facilities and manpower will help meet the region’s critical need for housing materials,” ended FPRDI Director Romulo T. Aggangan. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin, 13 December 2013)
