President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday directed government agencies to sustain emergency operations and speed up recovery efforts for communities devastated by Typhoon Tino (international name Kalmaegi).
The President’s statement, read by Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during a Malacañang briefing on Tuesday, outlined ongoing government actions to ensure immediate relief and restoration of basic services in the hardest-hit areas in Mindanao and Visayas.
“Patuloy nating binabantayan ang epekto ng Bagyong Tino na nakaapekto sa mahigit 340,000 katao sa 1,397 barangays sa mga rehiyon ng Mimaropa, Bicol, Western at Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Caraga at Negros Island Region (We continue to monitor the effects of Typhoon Tino, which affected more than 340,000 people in 1,397 barangays across Mimaropa, Bicol, Western and Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Caraga, and Negros Island Region), Marcos said.
He noted that preemptive evacuations were carried out before the typhoon’s landfall, with more than 175,000 people now staying in evacuation centers in the affected regions.
“Ang DSWD ay nakapag-preposition na ng food packs at relief goods sa mga apektadong lugar na handa nang ipamahagi; ang DOE at NEA ay tumutugon na sa mga ulat ng power outages; habang ang DPWH at MMDA ay nagpapakilos ng mga clearing teams para linisin ang mga daan,” (The Department of Social Welfare and Development has prepositioned food packs and relief goods in affected areas; the Department of Energy and National Electrification Administration are responding to power outage reports; while the Department of Public Works and Highway and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority have deployed clearing teams to clear roads), the President said.
Marcos also directed Cabinet officials to visit the hardest-hit provinces to personally assess the situation and ensure that essential services are restored at the soonest possible time.
“Tutungo rin ang ilang miyembro ng Gabinete sa mga pinakaapektadong probinsiya upang personal na alamin ang kalagayan at tiyaking naibabalik agad ang mga pangunahing serbisyo (Some Cabinet members will go to the most affected provinces to personally assess the situation and ensure the quick restoration of essential services),” he said.
The President assured the public that the government remains fully mobilized to fast-track recovery operations.
“Tinitiyak ng pamahalaan ang patuloy na pagkilos upang mapabilis ang pagbangon ng ating mga kababayan. Manatiling alerto at makinig sa abiso ng inyong mga lokal na opisyal,” (The government ensures continued action to hasten the recovery of our people. Stay alert and heed the advice of your local officials), he added.
Disaster response units remain on heightened alert as clearing and relief operations continue across the affected regions.
Tino has slightly weakened due to land interaction over the Negros Island Region but still bringing destructive winds, heavy rains, and coastal flooding, according to the latest report of the weather bureau.
The center of Tino’s eye was located in the vicinity of Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, carrying maximum sustained winds of 140 km. per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 195 kph, while moving westward at 25 kph.
PAGASA said strong to typhoon-force winds extended outward up to 300 kilometers from the center.
It is forecast to continue traversing Western Visayas and northern Palawan, emerging over the West Philippine Sea by Wednesday morning. It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Wednesday evening or early Thursday.
Although it has weakened slightly, Tino will likely retain its typhoon intensity while over land and may re-intensify once it reaches the sea. (PNA)
