More than 2,000 impoverished Filipino families suffering from illness, hunger and housing problems in Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City received much-needed government assistance after President Arroyo ordered her cabinet to step up relief operations for people living in Metro Manila communities that have remained waterlogged more than two weeks after Typhoon Ondoy roared out of the country.

Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) said Mrs. Arroyo had instructed his agency to immediately coordinate relief services for the residents of Bagong Silangan after receiving news that many of the elderly, sick and disabled poor folk living in the vast shanty colonies of the community had not received adequate relief services and were unable to move into already overcrowded evacuation centers.

“No less than five private organizations and 27 government agencies contributed to this particular emergency effort using resources previously pledged for this year’s commemoration of the United Nations’ International Day for Eradicating Poverty and the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty,” Panganiban said.

The NAPC chief said many of the disadvantaged beneficiary residents affected by the worst typhoon the country has seen in decades have become even more destitute, living in makeshift shelters amid the debris of their former homes.

“Residents were overjoyed when they were told that they did not need to leave their belongings to receive the food and free medical and dental services we offered as the President had made it very clear that our task was to seek out each family beneficiary to deliver the assistance,” he said.

He said government will continue relief operations for the victims of Ondoy even as it pushes through with commemoration rites for the International Day for Overcoming Poverty and the National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty scheduled for today,(Saturday,October 17), 2009 at the Rizal Park in Manila.