MAASIN CITY—Using the popular networking site Facebook, a key official of the beleaguered town of Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte issued an appeal to online readers, monitored here, for basic necessities to keep life and limbs together, especially the evacuees, in the rain-drenched town.

In her latest posting on Facebook on Tuesday, Jane Araneta, the Information and Tourism Officer of Saint Bernard, posted these messages:

“Immediate assistance is needed for potable water due to damage of the municipal waterworks system. Water is likely badly needed for cooking and sanitation purposes. Usable water is needed not only in the evacuation centers but municipal-wide.

“Assistance in the form of rice and/or cash which could be used to purchase fuel (wood, etc.), fish, vegetable, etc.

“Assistance is needed for medicines due to limited sanitation supplies for likely water-borne disease or other types of disease outbreak.”

Araneta also mentioned that for agricultural areas, mainly riceland, 25 out of 30 barangays were damaged, with an estimated value of P5,345,600.

She also reported that the initial assessment of damage to infra support facilities was estimated at P11,752,500, while damage to municipal waterworks system was placed at P100,000.

Meanwhile, the latest number of people evacuated at various evacuation centers in Saint Bernard has breached the 2,000 mark, and still counting, it was learned.