President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday assured the government will continue providing all forms of assistance to victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine as another weather disturbance is expected to develop into a typhoon.
In a situation briefing at Malacañan Palace on STS Kristine, the President ordered relevant government agencies to sustain the relief operations and expedite support to affected areas.
President Marcos said the government must be prepared for the upcoming weather disturbance.
“We’ll just have to keep monitoring the situation and make sure, always, the rescue and relief don’t stop. It doesn’t matter there’s another storm coming, we cannot stop. That cannot stop,” the President said.
“And then, the support that we are giving, that DSWD is giving [to] those who have been displaced, who are still in the evacuation centers, there are staying outside of their homes, with their relatives, their friends, that also cannot stop,” he added.
The President made the remarks following Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian’s update on the relief efforts in Kristine-hit areas during the briefing.
Gatchalian said they have released 150,752 family food packs to typhoon victims, along with 3,231 non-food items, with a total value of PhP111,133,601.54. The DSWD has a national stockpile of 1,905,700 family food packs worth PhP1,439,033,413.58.
He said the national government is ready to support victims and affected local government units, noting that all necessary assistance has been mobilized. PND
