ACTING Mayor Bryan Kua assured residents that relief efforts for victims of Super Typhoon Uwan remain underway, two weeks after the storm unleashed deadly surges, widespread flooding, and destructive winds across Dagupan.

Speaking during the flag-raising ceremony on November 24 at the city plaza, Kua said residents in remote areas who have yet to receive food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the city government will not be left behind, noting that additional assistance is already being mobilized.

Kua is currently serving as acting mayor while Mayor Belen Fernandez is in Milpitas, California, Dagupan’s sister city, for an official engagement with members of the Manlingkor ya Kalangweran (MYK) under a student exchange program. Councilor Michael Fernandez, meanwhile, sits as acting vice mayor and presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

In his message, Kua extended his gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the P40-million aid coursed to Dagupan at the height of the city’s recovery efforts.

He also reported that clearing operations, particularly at Tondaligan Park and other severely affected areas, continue without letup.

Kua credited the city’s zero-casualty record to the well-coordinated preventive evacuation conducted a day before landfall by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, local police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and partner agencies.

He thanked all frontliners and volunteers whose swift action ensured the safety of Dagupenos amid the typhoon’s onslaught. (Leonardo Micua)