Marcos orders gov't agencies to fast-track relief ops for flood victims

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered concerned agencies to speed up the relief operations for flood victims in Northern and Eastern Samar, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

The PCO said Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to ensure that the roads are passable for the faster distribution of assistance to flood victims.

“The public works – as soon as the public works are able to enter, do the necessary repairs so that bigger vehicles can enter – as soon as it’s passable all efforts can go in and do the repairs necessary,” Marcos said.

“We are doing everything that we can. But let’s work with those who are in the evacuation centers – pati na ‘yung mg nasa bahay pa (including those at home)... we have to go and make sure that they get the food packs, they get sufficient water supply,” he added.

Marcos earlier visited Tacloban, where he held a virtual briefing with other government officials on the effects of the shear line and the low pressure area (LPA) affecting Northern Samar. The President was supposed to land in Catarman but was prevented by the weather. 

Meanwhile, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency has prepared more than 100,000 food packs for the affected families in Northern and Eastern Samar. 

He said they are also finalizing the list of affected individuals whose homes were partially or totally damaged, which will be the basis of the financial assistance that they will receive from the government.

Marcos also said the Department of Agriculture will provide assistance and distribute seedlings and other agricultural products to affected families.

State weather bureau PAGASA earlier said that Catarman experienced more than a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours, attributing it to the shear line, where cold and warm air converge.

The weather disturbance forced over 24,000 families to evacuate. 

A state of calamity has already been declared in the province.

The declaration was made after the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council made the recommendation due to the damage to infrastructure and crops caused by the deep floods.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), meanwhile, said one was reported dead while 721,627 people or 180, 788 families were affected in Western and Eastern Visayas due to the combined effects of the shear line and LPA.—Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News