Using hoses connected to its 10,000-liter tanker truck, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) volunteers and staff work with DepEd personnel to flush mud left by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) in schools. As of today, 07 November, the combined Red Cross and DepEd teams have flushed mud in Santa Rosa Central School, Aplaya Elementary School, Aplaya National High School, and the Schools Division Office.

“I received a request from Santa Rosa City Schools Division Superintendent Ms. Manuela Tolentino to help them flush their schools of mud left by Paeng. Deeply concerned with the education of our children set back by the pandemic, I deployed a 10,000-liter tanker truck to flush the mud in their schools,” PRC Chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon said.

PRC volunteers also hosed the old City Hall area, the Santa Rosa Covid facilities, the vicinity of the National Bureau of Investigation office, Laparan Street, Tatlong Hari Street, and Barangay Market Area to flush mud left by Paeng. As of today, 07 November, the PRC payloader has cleared 1,078 cubic meters of mud, or equivalent to 77 dump trucks full of mud in Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa City is among the cities across the country that experienced flooding as a result of the storm. Parts of the city were covered by mud three to four inches thick in the aftermath of Paeng. PRC volunteers and staff have responded to Paeng-affected communities across the country since 28 October by providing emergency rescue and evacuation, shelter strengthening kits, emergency medical services, health care information and supplies, hot meals and food items, water, clothes, slippers, psychological first aid, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, road clearing, and flushing.