MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed concerned government agencies to continue providing assistance to those affected by Typhoon Uwan in Catanduanes, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
The directive aims to ensure that typhoon victims can recover and rebuild their lives as soon as possible.
“The assistance includes the Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program (IDSAP) of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to provide cash assistance to residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged by Super Typhoon Uwan,” the PCO said in a press release.
Earlier, Marcos visited Tubli Elementary School in Barangay Tubli, Caramoran town, to assess the damage caused by Uwan as well as by Super Typhoon Pepito a year earlier.
Of the school’s 23 classrooms, one was completely destroyed, 14 sustained major damage, and the rest suffered minor damage due to Uwan. The incident affected 739 learners and 30 staff members.
To support students and displaced residents, the government donated two Starlink internet satellite units—one to Tubli Elementary School and another to the Caramoran local government unit.
Marcos also inspected damaged houses and the seawall in the same barangay.
“Caramoran has reported 558 totally damaged houses and 2,127 partially damaged houses,” the PCO said.
“In Barangay Tubli, where the seawall helped protect the coastal community, there were 158 totally damaged and 370 partially damaged houses while nearly all motor bancas were destroyed during the super typhoon,” it added.
Typhoon Uwan left at least 27 dead and around 2.4 million residents displaced, based on the latest data from the Office of Civil Defense.
In a social media post on Monday, Marcos lauded emergency response teams for Typhoon Uwan and added that the preemptive evacuations they carried out “made all the difference.”
“I want to thank our local governments, first responders, and volunteers for acting quickly and working together to keep our people safe. The preemptive evacuations you carried out made all the difference. Your prompt action is very significant,” Marcos said in the post. /mr