Buds Sayong, Head of the INCA Public Service Unit, was interviewed on Failon Ngayon of DZMM Teleradyo.
He is part of the public service arm of ABS-CBN’s integrated news division like TV Patrol and other programs of the Current Affairs, who are always at the forefront when it comes to relief operations for any natural or manmade disasters our country is facing.
Sayong said their group was pre-positioned in areas where storms and other calamities are expected to hit in order to provide initial aid like in cases like Typhoon Yolanda.
Their unit shall continue to provide aid to those in need, despite the network’s significantly reduced operations following its broadcast franchise denial.
“Ipagpapatuloy po natin ang labang ito. Hindi lang laban sa prangkisa kundi para sa masang nangangailangan ng tulong natin,” Buds Sayong told ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
Sayong is saddened by the fact their partners from ABS-CBN’s Regional Network Group were wiped out since the group directly assists them in extending aid to the country’s far-flung areas.
“Sila po ang may kabisado sa lugar. Sila ang may alam kung may tinamaan na hardest-hit,” he added.
Sayong further stated that the loss of the regional groups especially in relief operations to far-flung areas is the most devastating and their jobs will be harder for their service units.
“Yung far-flung na nararating natin na ABS-CBN lang ang channel nila, yun ang pinakamabigat sa atin. ‘Pag tinanggal mo yun, lalo na tayo mas mahihirapan,” said Sayong.
“Mino-monitor natin lahat ng papasok na bagyo, lahat ng kalamidad—giyera, lindol, flashfloods. Halos lahat, naranasan na natin. Nauuna po talaga tayo sa mga lugar na ‘yun bago pa tumama pa talaga,” he said.
He cited as an example of the group’s operation in Tacloban City, his hometown, which was hardest-hit by typhoon Yolanda (Super Typhoon Haiyan) in 2013.
Sayong said that ABS-CBN was already conducting soup kitchens in different evacuation centers in Tacloban and with them are relief goods ready for distribution even before the City was badly hit by the storm.
“Day before pa lang, nagsu-soup kitchen na tayo in different evacuation centers of Tacloban City. Nung tumama si Yolanda, may dala na po kaming relief goods dun,” he recounted.
“Pagkatapos tumama ni Yolanda sa Tacloban City, nakapamahagi po kami agad ng 600 relief packs sa mga tao;” Sayong added.
“Dapang-dapa na nga po tayo pero hinding-hindi po tayo titigil sa pagtulong,” said Sayong especially those far-flung areas who can only receive TV signals from ABS-CBN.
“ABS-CBN lang ang TV nila, ang channel nila,” revealed Sayong referring to the far-flung areas.
Rest assured, ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya relief operations would continue despite the network’s limited resources.
The House committee on legislative franchises on July 10 decided to junk the franchise bid of ABS-CBN despite the company’s claim of not violating any irregularities and delinquencies by relevant government agencies.
Aside from leaving the 11,000 employees crippled, the shutdown of ABS-CBN is also seen by various sectors as the curtailment of the people’s right to information, as well as of press freedom.
