By Priam Nepomuceno | Philippine News Agency
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday said it is working with various government agencies and the uniformed services to ensure maximum logistical support to the relief operations in Batanes province severely affected by Super Typhoon Julian.
“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and our NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) chair, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, are closely monitoring the situation and guiding response efforts to address the aftermath of this disaster,” OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said in a statement.
Nepomuceno said the OCD is “actively working to ensure the efficient transport of assistance to our fellow Filipinos in need.”
The agency has deployed its rapid deployment teams to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and Laoag Airport to oversee the loading and dispatch of relief goods.
Batanes is now under a state of calamity.
Nepomuceno, along with officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, conducted an aerial inspection of Batanes and met with Governor Marilou Cayco to assess the ground situation on Oct. 3.
The following day, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived for a meeting with local government officials to evaluate the province’s needs.
He directed national government officials to collaborate on enhancing rehabilitation efforts.
During the briefing, Teodoro assured that construction materials would be provided to families whose homes were damaged.
“Materials and potable water is the number one, Sir, that is required. So Ariel [Nepomuceno] will coordinate as he has been coordinating the logistical priorities of what has to be brought in. But for materials, for the north is here with the Chief of Staff, they can prioritize with the Naval LD (landing dock) the construction materials just as long as there is a source to pick it up from,” Teodoro said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President has extended over P42.78 million in financial assistance to the Batanes local government unit.
Various food and non-food items—including shelter repair kits, family food packs, water gallons, sacks of rice, and hygiene kits—were distributed.
Nepomuceno thanked the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the private sector for their help in the ongoing relief efforts.
Earlier, relief items from Manila Water and the GMA Kapuso Foundation were transported to Batanes via an AFP aircraft.
