PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will be declaring a state of national calamity in regions still reeling from the devastation caused by Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi), and may also be affected by the new weather disturbance Typhoon Uwan during the weekend.
The chief executive said he approved the recommendation of National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to make the declaration to fast-track the mobilization of government resources in the typhoon-hit areas.
‘That gives us quicker access to some of the emergency funds, number one. Second, our procurement will be accelerated so we don’t have to go through the usual bureaucratic procedures and we can immediately provide assistance to some of the victims of the storms,’ he told reporters after attending a situation briefing on the effects of Typhoon Tino at the NDRRMC Office in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday.
He said the declaration will cover 10 to 12 regions. As of press time, Malacañang has yet to disclose the list of regions to be placed under state of national calamity.
‘Price freeze’
Under the declaration, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said a nationwide ‘price freeze’ for basic commodities and items will take effect to prevent unscrupulous retailers from taking advantage of consumers in typhoon-hit areas.
‘We spoke directly with the DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] leadership and they themselves said that regarding the price freeze or monitoring of the prices of basic commodities and items, this is general,’ Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing in Malacañang last Thursday.
Typhoon Tino entered the Philippine area of responsibility during the weekend, devastating many parts of the country with heavy rainfall.
As of Thursday morning, the Office of Civil Defense said the death toll from Typhoon Tino has reached 114.
Marcos said concerned government agencies are still validating the total number of casualties, damage to properties and agriculture.
However, he said based on the initial data which was presented to him during the situation briefing, the damage and casualties from Typhoon Tino was significant.
Among the provinces which suffered the brunt of the Typhoon Tino was Cebu, which is currently under a state of calamity.
Marcos said they are now bracing for the effects of Uwan, which can become a super typhoon once it hits the country, based on the projections of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
‘It looks like landfall is in Cagayan again, we will already be feeling the effects of the rain and some winds maybe by Sunday morning,’ Marcos said in Filipino.
He said they are now determining how to prepare for Typhoon Uwan in Northern Luzon, while most government responders are still in areas devastated by Typhoon Tino in the Visayas.
The chief executive assured the public that the necessary relief and support activities will be provided in areas hit by Typhoon Tino like the province of Cebu.
‘We are continuing our relief situation, our relief and support for those who were hit by Typhoon Tino. But we are also doing everything that we can to anticipate and prepare ourselves well for the coming Typhoon Uwan,’ Marcos said.