NDRRMC seeks Marcos declaration of state of national calamity due to 'Paeng'
MANILA, Philippines — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has drafted a resolution recommending the declaration of a national state of calamity due to the impact of Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae).
The declaration will allow access to calamity response funds and will implement a price freeze on basic goods.
"Ito po ay amin nang ginawa at papunta na po ang aming communication recommending a declaration of [a] national state of calamity," Defense Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., officer-in-charge of the department and also chair of the NDRRMC, said in a briefing on Sunday.
(We have prepared the document and our communication recommending a declaration of a national state of calamity is on its way.)
READ: NDRRMC recommends national state of calamity due to ‘Paeng’
It is yet unclear where President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who attended an NDRRMC briefing via teleconference on Saturday, is although Office of the Press Secretary officer-in-charge Cheloy Garafil assured the public Sunday that the chief executive is not in Japan despite speculations on social media.
National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth and peasant women group Amihan said in separate statements that the president should be visible during crises.
"The Filipino people deserve to know where the president is, and we have the right to hold him accountable," NNARA-Youth National Chairperson Zoe Caballero said.
Marcos has preferred to let officials handle disaster response, saying on-site visits to calamity areas would disrupt relief work.
READ: Farmers slam Marcos' reported F1 Singapore weekend after typhoon
Government assistance programs underway
Meanwhile, government agencies are now distributing aid such as family food packs and water to communities affected by tropical storm Paeng.
As of Sunday morning, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said it already distributed more than P22.3 million worth of family food packs and other non-food assistance to people affected by the storm. Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo said the department is prepared to extend more aid.
Officials during the briefing on Sunday said they conducted an assessment of the typhoon’s impact in the Calabarzon region, where areas in Cavite were left flooded by continuous rain.
They will also head to the Bangsamoro region to deliver equipment, such as water purifiers, among others.
"Medyo malaki ang problema sa [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao]. Maraming natamaan sa landslide, ‘yung baha nag-iimprove na pero may mga problema pa rin," Anton Lagdameo, Marcos' special assistant, said.
(The situation in BARMM is quite serious. Many people were affected by landslides. Flooding has receded but there are still problems.)
The NDRRMC’s Sunday report showed severe tropical storm Paeng left 48 individuals dead, with 33 of the confirmed casualties logged from the Bangsamoro region.
DMW assists affected OFWs
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers said it is monitoring the impact of the tropical storm on overseas Filipino workers and their families.
"Right now, we are focused on assistance to OFWs stranded in various airports, unable to go home to their provinces or depart for work abroad," Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said in a separate statement on Sunday.
Airport authorities cancelled 21 international flights and 136 domestic flights on Sunday due to tropical storm Paeng.
LIST: Cancelled flights for October 30, revised sailing times due to 'Paeng'
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration have so far extended assistance to 87 Filipino caregivers bound for Israel who were affected by flight cancellations.
The DMW said 70 were assisted with hotel accommodations, while the rest were picked up by relatives. The agency said OFWs in need of assistance following disrupted flight schedules may reach out to the OWWA through its helplines.
DOH ready to distribute help
The Department of Health said it distributed P31.063 million worth of drugs and medicines, medical supplies, along with other commodities across the country ahead of the storm’s landfall. The agency also said it has P72.803 million worth of medical commodities ready for distribution
According to as press statement on Sunday, DOH also deployed health personnel to 633 evacuation centers across the country. They will be in charge of screening and the triage of evacuees, among other responsibilities concerning medical and psychosocial services.
The health department said it will be on high alert for possible outbreaks of waterborne and foodborne diseases, among other illnesses that may spread.
It will also convene its Inter-Agency Committee on Environmental Health on Friday to address the recent diarrhea cases and cholera outbreaks, which may have been due to the recent typhoons and subsequent flooding.
- Latest
- Trending
