Marcos thanks Malaysia's Anwar for aid to Kristine victims

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday personally called Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to thank his government's assistance to the Philippines after it was battered by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.

“The air support they provided allowed us to reach areas that are still struggling with severe flooding, bringing relief to families who otherwise couldn’t be reached,” said Marcos in a statement. 

Malaysia is among the Southeast Asian countries that deployed their air assets to provide relief to areas affected by Kristine. Other countries were Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei. 

“In this time of mourning the lives lost, it is also heartening to see how our friends in ASEAN have responded with support in our time of need,” said Marcos. “This kind of solidarity is what strengthens our region.” 

There were over two million families affected by Kristine and the recent Typhoon Leon in 17 regions and 82 provinces, according to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.—Vince Ferreras/LDF, GMA Integrated News