Marcos tasks agencies to provide aid for Carina-affected individuals

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday tasked concerned agencies to provide aid to those affected by Typhoon Carina and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.

“I will be holding a situation briefing this morning to assess the current situation and ensure that all necessary support is provided promptly and effectively,” Marcos said.

He said P2.88 billion worth of prepositioned aid and close to 4,500 personnel have been on standby for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

Marcos said around P43.15 million worth of assistance was provided to more than 770,000 individuals affected by Habagat last week.

Typhoon Carina

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, PAGASA said Typhoon Carina further intensified as it continued to move towards Taiwan.

The center of the eye of Carina was estimated at 290 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour near the center, with gustiness of up to 190 km/h and moving northwestward at 25 km/h.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 is hoisted over the following areas:

• Batanes

TCWS No. 1 is hoisted over the following areas:

• Babuyan Islands
• the northern portion of mainland Cagayan (Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Sanchez-Mira, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Buguey, Santa Teresita, Santa Ana, Gonzaga)
• the northern portion of Ilocos Norte (Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpud, Dumalneg, Adams)

Work, classes suspended

The inclement weather has also prompted Malacañang to suspended government work and classes in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the day.

"In view of the forecasted continuous rainfall brought about by the Southwest Monsoon and Typhoon Carina at 05:00 a.m. today, 24 July 2024, as recommended by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council," according to an announcement from the Office of the Executive Secretary.

"However, those agencies whose functions involve the delivery of basic and health services, preparedness/response to disasters and calamities, and/or the performance of other vital services shall continue with their operations and render the necessary services."

Many areas outside NCR also suspended classes for Wednesday due to the weather.

Aside from work and class suspensions, several flights were also canceled for the day.

In Metro Manila, several areas were flooded on Wednesday morning, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). — RSJ, GMA Integrated News