Government has sufficient resources to address
needs of typhoon victims in Luzon, Palace says
Malacanang said it continues to monitor the
movement of Typhoon Odette that affects the northern parts of the country and
has prepositioned enough emergency relief assistance for communities affected
by the weather disturbance.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) has prepositioned P113.58 million worth of emergency relief resources
that includes standby funds, 36,410 family food packs and other relief items
for Regions 1, 2, 3, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview Saturday.
The government has allocated huge amount of
emergency relief resources in those regions in case they need relief
augmentation, Valte told government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan in an interview.
The Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG) is also helping other government agencies to disseminate information to
local government units (LGUs) based on advisories released by PAGASA and the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The DILG is also ready to extend its assistance
in case of preemptive evacuation in high-risk areas, Valte said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH) Regions 1, 2 and Region 4-B, have activated their operation centers and
had designated officers for a 24-hour duty. The DPWH also has stockpile of
basic medicines.
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in
Region 1 is also helping in informing the public about the latest weather
advisories through its news text blasts, Valte said.
So far, Valte said they received information
that a total of 103 families and some 341 individuals were affected in Paniqui,
Tarlac, and staying in temporary shelters in the area.
Knee-deep flood water is also reported in
Barangay Claudio Salgado in Occidental Mindoro, Valte said adding the
government is monitoring the situation there.
The Palace official made an assurance about
continuing government support although most of the agencies are concentrating
in the ongoing crisis in Zamboanga City.
“Huwag tayong mag-alala na kahit marami tayong
mga resources na nakatuon ngayon diyan sa ating mga kababayan sa Lungsod ng
Zamboanga, we are making sure that ‘yung mga dinadaanan naman nitong bagyong
Odette ay natutuunan din ng kaukulang pansin,” she said. PND (as)
