By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In the virtual press briefing held on Wednesday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged the public to remain vigilant amid bad weather fueled by Tropical Storm Dante (international name: Francisco), Typhoon Emong (international name: Co-May), and the southwest monsoon (habagat) that affects most of Luzon and parts of Visayas.
Castro likewise assured that government agencies are actively responding to the impact of recent and ongoing weather disturbances.
She told reporters, on the relief and rescue operations mobilized by various agencies, “Naiulat na po natin kahapon ang mga ginawa at naging accomplishments po ng ibang mga concerned agencies katulad po ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Transportation (DOTr); pati po iyong Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ay nagbigay na rin po ng libreng sakay…iyon po ay direktiba ng Pangulong Marcos Jr.”
The Palace press briefer said coordination with local governments and continuous public advisories remain top priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration, while authorities are constantly monitoring changes in the weather situation.
This is reflected by her update providing assurance of adequate rice stocks at the National Food Authority’s (NFA) warehouses, which are sufficient to last for 12 days.
Castro said no damage has been recorded in the NFA rice stocks nationwide, particularly at the warehouses in Occidental Mindoro and Valenzuela City.
“Nationwide, wala pong na-danyos na stocks at ang NFA ay ready anytime to release stocks to requesting LGUs (local government units) and relief agencies,” she said, noting that these NFA warehouses remained standing amid the floods brought about by TS Dante and Typhoon Emong.
“At sabi ng NFA administration, super-secure in terms of buffer stock ang NFA at meron po tayong enough stocks to last for 12 days. Buong Pilipinas po ay makakakain,” she added, assuring masses of buffer stocks that can outlast the bad weather, which may persist until Monday.
Palace reacts to VP Sara remarks on gov’t disaster response
Castro moreover issued a response to reporters when quizzed about Malacañang’s stance on Vice President Sara Duterte’s criticism of the government’s response to the array of calamities that have drenched most of the country this week.
“Unang-una po, hindi naman talaga malalaman marahil ni Bise Presidente kung ano po ang [paghahanda] ng administrasyon dito sa bagyong Crising dahil wala siya sa bansa at nagbabakasyon siya sa The Hague,” she told media, refuting the Vice President’s statement.
“Dahil ang mga pagpupulong na ito na kasama po bago po umalis ang Pangulong Marcos papuntang U.S., malamang hindi rin po niya ito nakita at nabalitaan. Muli, wala ang kanyang presensya sa Pilipinas para husgahan kung ano man ang naging trabaho ng Pangulo, administrasyon, at mga concerned agencies dito sa bagyong Crising,” she added.
The Palace press briefer lamented the sentiments of the country’s second-highest official amid the government’s best efforts to respond to the ongoing onslaught of weather systems that continue to cause heavy rainfall, inundate communities in low-lying and flood-prone areas, and generate landslides in mountainous regions in Luzon and Visayas.
She countered Duterte’s remarks by reiterating that the government has provided free rides, distributed food packs, carried out rehabilitation efforts, and conducted search and rescue operations.
“Naiulat na po natin kahapon ang nagawa at accomplishments ng mga ahensya katulad po ng DSWD, DOTr, pati po PCG ay nagbigay na po ng libreng sakay. Katulad po ng DOTr na nagbigay ng libre sakay sa Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at Light Rail Transit (LRT). ‘Yan po ay base sa direktiba ng Pangulong Marcos Jr.” Castro concluded in her rebuttal.
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