By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
A comprehensive system is in place to provide relief to those affected by the onslaught of Super Typhoon Leon (international name Kong-rey), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Thursday.
“Handa naman ang pamahalaan dahil nakalatag naman talaga ang mga programa natin. Bago dumating at ’pag dumating na ’yong bagyo o kalamidad at pag-alis ng kalamidad o ng bagyo, may mga sistema na tayo,” OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said during the program Special Report: Super Typhoon #LeonPH over PTV.
Nepomuceno said this complies with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of a whole-of-government approach to ensure the safety of Filipinos.
He said uniformed personnel, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), form the core of the government’s disaster response.
“Buo ang ating sistema. Buo rin ’yong tinatawag nating ‘command and control.’ Habang nangyayari at pagkatapos no’ng kalamidad—dere-deretso ang pagtutulungan ng lahat ng ahensiya ng ating pamahalaan,” he added.
Nepomuceno said the government will continue to help victims of the recent Severe Tropical Storm Kristine even as relief efforts are now focused on Typhoon Leon victims.
More than 300,000 families are sheltered in evacuation centers and receiving government aid following Kristine’s onslaught last week.
Currently, Batanes and Babuyan Islands are the most affected by Leon, he said.
Meanwhile, OCD spokesperson Dir. Edgar Posadas said the government has anticipated the need for search-and-rescue operations, prompting it to maintain a high alert level in the aftermath of Kristine.
He said eight regional offices of the OCD are collaborating on relief efforts.
He added medical teams are being deployed to evacuation centers to address both immediate and special needs of evacuees.
Residents whose houses were damaged by the effects of the cyclones would also get assistance from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), he added.
“Padadalhan naman sila ng DHSUD ng, ’yong panggawa, ng pangkumpuni ng kanilang mga kabahayan; sa amin din may nanggagaling sa aming house repair kits. Ang kagandahan naman, although alam natin maaaring hindi sapat ’yon subalit ’yong kaya ng pamahalaan, kapag ang bahay naman ng kababayan natin ay tinatawag na partially damaged meron silang sampung libong matatangap naman sa DHSUD at kapag talagang wasak ’yong kanilang bahay, mga P30,000 ’yong binibigay naman ng ating pamahalaan,” he added.
He said the government is also aiming to transition its focus from response to early recovery efforts.
