Marcos wants assets of private contractors to be pre-positioned for Nika

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. wants private contractors, which have contracts with the national government, to pre-position their assets amid Typhoon Nika and an incoming tropical depression.

This was according to Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez on Monday.

''Maliwanag sa Pangulo ang kanyang instruction at inuulit niya ito sa mga government agencies na ang bago ngayon 'yung mga private contractors, 'yung mga trucks nila, 'yung mga makinarya nila, 'yung mga private contractors na may kontrata sa gobyerno, DOTr [Department of Transportation], DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways], dapat naka-pre-position na,'' Chavez said in an ambush interview.

(The President's instruction is clear and he's been repeating this to government agencies. What's new is that the private contractors, their trucks, their machinery, these private contractors which have contracts with the government, the DOTr, the DPWH, [their assets] should be pre-positioned already)

Chavez also said Marcos' office had tasked the Department of the Interior and Local Government that if the Office of the President has no announcement yet on work and class suspension, the DILG may already issue directives for the local government units.

When it comes to the budget for relief efforts, Chavez said the Department of Budget and Management has already given its assurance that there will be sufficient funds for the tropical cyclones that are expected to hit the country until the yearend.

Weather bureau PAGASA said Nika (international name: Toraji) already made landfall in the vicinity of Dilasag, Aurora this Monday morning.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4 was raised at 8 a.m. over seven Luzon areas.

Meanwhile, the low pressure area (LPA) outside PAR had developed into a tropical depression and it may enter PAR on Tuesday and will be named “Ofel.” —KG, GMA Integrated News