Marcos: Yolanda's powerful lessons shouldn't be lost with time

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. commemorated on Friday the 11th anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda, saying that its powerful lessons should not be lost with the passage of time.

According to Marcos, heeding to the powerful lessons is the best way to honor the lives lost due to Yolanda's onslaught.

''Calamities are teaching moments, and every one that came after Yolanda delivered a payload of lessons that instructed us how to improve our response,'' Marcos said in a statement.

''Since then, we have strengthened institutional bulwarks against calamities, which our countrymen have matched with increasing care and compassion for those affected,'' he added.

Marcos said the government should intensify efforts to mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change and urgently abate the country's vulnerability to disasters.

''We must empower our communities and strengthen our local government units, who both comprise our first line of defense against calamities. We must guarantee the speedy delivery of relief and aid to all those who may need it,'' Marcos said.

In 2013, Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) left more than 7,000 people dead or missing. It also affected more than 16 million people or 3 million families across the country. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News