Marcos distributes aid to residents affected by Egay in Abra

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday led the distribution of aid for residents affected by Typhoon Egay in Abra.

"Kaya kami nandito para tiyakin na maayos ang takbo at magbigay ng instruction para maging maliwanag kung ano ang dapat nating gawin," said Marcos.

(We are here to ensure that everything is going smoothly and give instructions.)

"Susunod diyan ang pinaka importante, water supply. Susunod diyan yung kuryente. Diyan kami nahihirapan. Ang nangyari dito sa probinsiya ng Abra, tumumba yung mga poste. Kaya't kailangan na naman natin either itayo ulit 'yan or magtayo tayo ng bago," added Marcos.

(Next is something very crucial, which is restoring water supply. Then electricity, which is really challenging. What happened in Abra was that some posts toppled down. We need to repair it or put up a new one.)

During the event, Marcos also handed out cash aid to local officials to help in ongoing relief efforts and recovery projects for affected residents. 

"Susunod naman diyan ang pag-rehabilitate at rebuilding na. Kaya tinitingnan na rin namin gaano karami ang damage, ilan yung talagang nasiraan ng bahay, ano yung damage doon sa mga ibang bahay. Magpo-provide din kami ng building materials para naman maitayo uli at mabalikan," Marcos said.

(Next is rehabilitation. We want to see the extent of the damage, how many homes were really destroyed. We will provide building materials to help them rebuild their homes.)

President Marcos, who is also the concurring Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), also made various assistance available for the affected farmers and fishers such as seeds, medicines and biologics for livestock and poultry and fingerlings.

The President also said that he is satisfied with the response of both the national and local governments to Typhoon Egay. 

"Mahusay naman ang ating mga disaster response team sa LGU at sa National at maganda naman ang ugnayan ng national at tsaka local. Kaya sa palagay ko sa lalong madaling panahon maibabalik na natin lahat ng mga serbisyo na kinakailangan." 

(The coordination between the response team, the LGU, and the national government was good. I think we can bring back all the necessary services quickly.)

Marcos is also scheduled to check on the situation in Laoag and Tuguegarao in the afternoon.

Egay Impact 

The Death toll from Egay rose to 14 on Saturday, according to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). From that number, 6 are confirmed, while 8 are still for validation. Meanwhile, 13 were injured and 20 are missing.

Egay affected 164,430 families or 582,288 persons according to the NDRRMC. The typhoon also damaged 9,429 houses, with 351 of them totally damaged. 

The estimated cost of damage is P1.19 billion, while damage to agriculture is pegged at around P832 million. —VAL, GMA Integrated News