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Typhoon Soudelor cleanup set until May
Volunteers from the Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts and the CSR staff of Best Sunshine International, Ldt. get their gloves as they prepare for their cleanup last Saturday. (Jon Perez)
Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts director Jenny Hegland said the ongoing cleanup and debris clearing of Typhoon Soudelor-related debris will run through May to follow the removal schedule set by the Saipan Mayor’s Office and the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality.
CARE volunteers and the Corporate Social Responsibility of Best Sunshine International, Ld. teamed up in another cleanup, the 24th since October last year, last Saturday covering certain areas in Koblerville and Chalan Piao.
Hegland said CARE’s focus is taking referrals from the public who need any assistance in clearing up debris left by Typhoon Soudelor.
“CARE can take referrals for residents needing assistance as this is our focus, helping sort and move to the curbside for families unable to do this themselves,” said Hegland. “The Mayor’s Office and BECQ do the actual removal with the heavy equipment.”
She added the respective staff of Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang and BECQ had been a big help with the clearing up operations and making sure they covered all areas in each villages.
“Still there is a lot of debris left by Typhoon Soudelor. Good thing we have the Mayor’s Office and BECQ to help us. The Mayor’s Office literally checked every street in the villages and marked the finished areas,” said Hegland.
Discerning where to clean-up and if the debris they are going to pick up are related to the typhoon or not has also been challenging, according to Hegland.
“There [also] tends to be a misunderstanding among the public as to what constitutes typhoon-related debris. However, the monitors are trained and know what they are looking for so they are the people who make those discernments,” she added.
Volunteers could not also just enter a yard of a house to avoid confusion and being labeled as trespassers.
“There’s debris left on the yard of a house. We always check if the homeowner is at home and always ask their permission before we go in to pick up the debris. We don’t get it if the homeowners are not home,” Hegland said.
Volunteers are also welcome to join in another clean-up scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 8:30am to 12noon.
