President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the government is committed to the long-term rehabilitation of oil-spill affected Oriental Mindoro, starting with livelihood projects.

Marcos said the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are among the lead agencies providing aid, livelihood assistance, as well as seed money and training for owners of small businesses.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), has numerous plans for the province under its recovery initiatives, Marcos assured.

“[A]ng TESDA under DOLE nagbibigay ng training para ito ay hindi naman mapatid ‘yong kinikita ng ating mga kababayan (The TESDA under DOLE gives trainings so that the flow of the residents’ income is continuous),” Marcos told Pola residents.

“Kaya’t asahan po ninyo, hindi namin kayo iiwanan. Asahan ninyo na hangga’t matapos ito ay nandito ang national government para tulungan kayo, para maibalik kayo sa dati ninyong gawi (Rest assured that we will leave no one behind. You can be sure that the national government will be with you to help you all the way until life is back to normal),” he added.

Marcos also vowed to address the problems that cropped up during the crisis, such as the source of potable water.

The Marcos administration, he said, will seize the opportunity to develop the province’s infrastructures, businesses and industries.

The President went to Pola to inspect the damage of the oil spill as well as to ensure that rehabilitation efforts are continuing.

The Philippines continues to address the oil spill with the help of its foreign partners from Japan, the United States, and South Korea, as well as international disaster agencies and organizations. (PNA)

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