Marcos orders gov't agencies: Bring aid to unreachable areas in Rizal

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday ordered the heads of various government agencies to find ways to bring food and water to unreachable areas in Rizal, particularly in Barangay Sta. Ines in Tanay.

The President made the directive after Rizal Governor Nina Ynares reported the situation in four towns in Rizal, three of which were "badly hit."

Ynares said that in Barangay Sta. Ines, the roads are not passable and the suggested way to bring aid to around 3,000 families in that high part of Rizal was through aerial delivery.

After getting the update, Marcos suggested the use of boats to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, as the video presented during the briefing showed that the goods were being delivered through a rope installed from one side of the river to another.

"Paano natin gagawin 'yun?... We have to get those supplies up to those people na tatlong araw na nga na hindi napuntahan. I'm always thinking 'yung mga matatanda at mga bata. Let's find a way to do that," Marcos said.

(How will we do that?... We have to get those supplies up to those people who have not been reached for the past three days. I'm always thinking of the elderly and the children. Let's find a way to do that.)

"I think you work together with the provincial government, (the) DILG with [Transportation Secretary] Jimmy [Bautista] para makahanap tayo ng paraan. [Public Works Secretary] Manny [Bonoan] will do everything he can, as quickly as he can (but) in those conditions, it is very hard to put something up and whatever it is it might take time. These people haven't eaten for three days," the President said.

Marcos suggested the use of two helicopters to aid the more than 3,000 families in Tanay, as he expressed hope that results could be achieved within the day.

Via chopper

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. responded to the President, saying that he would call up the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the possible use of helicopters for the delivery of goods to the area.

Apart from the DND and the military, Abalos said that he would also organize the Office of Civil Defense, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health for the delivery of essentials to the mentioned areas.

Marcos also suggested delivering a portable water purification system to these areas.

"We have to find a way. Medicines also. Basically, all the usual things that we bring up. The problem we have all these things, nakahanda... paano natin ita-transport pataas (The problem we have all these things is that they are ready... but how do we transport them up there)," he said.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa suggested bringing the sick and the elderly out of the isolated areas to provide them medical assistance.

"Mr. President, ang suggestion ko rin 'yung mga elderly at saka 'yung mga may sakit rather than give the medicine to them, dalhin na lang kasi nga as you said they are [at a] high-risk there," Herbosa said.

(Mr. President, my suggestion is to bring down the sick and elderly rather than give the medicine to them. As you said, they are at a high risk there.)

In her presentation, Ynares reported the following number of families and evacuation centers in four towns in Rizal:

• San Mateo: 27 evacuation centers with 3,031 evacuated families
• Montalban: 27 evacuation centers with 3,170 evacuated families
• Cainta: 19 evacuation centers with 2,213 evacuated families
• Tanay: 9 evacuation centers with 215 evacuated families

— VDV, GMA Integrated News