By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After witnessing the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing between the Department of Education (DepEd) and provincial local government units as part of the Nationwide Classroom Building Program, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held a meeting with local chief executives of provinces hit by Tropical Storm Basyang (international name: Penha) on Wednesday.
Along with several members of the Cabinet, the President issued a firm directive to the provincial governors to streamline relief and recovery operations in these storm-ravaged areas.
President Marcos Jr. moreover, emphasized the immediate release of funds, the acceleration of aid distribution, the prompt distribution of agricultural implements for farmers, and the provision of financial assistance to affected families.
Earlier, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian visited the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro—two of the areas severely affected by Basyang—to assess the damages left behind by the storm and extend humanitarian interventions to displaced individuals.
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon likewise visited Iligan City to conduct an inspection of the Tubod Bridge, which remains clogged with debris after the Iligan River burst its banks and inundated the surrounding areas.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) latest situational report, TS Basyang has displaced a total of 182,352 families, or 645,612 individuals in 1,285 villages, along with 36 injured persons and 12 casualties.
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