Duterte places Ompong-hit regions under state of calamity

Updated (6:31 p.m.)

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a proclamation declaring a state of calamity in Regions I, II, III and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) in the wake of the destruction brought about by Typhoon “Ompong “(international name: Mangkhut).

Duterte signed Proclamation 593 on Tuesday based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC). The copy of the proclamation was only released to the media on Thursday.

The proclamation stated that “the declaration of a State of Calamity will hasten rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector; including any international humanitarian assistance.”

“All departments and other concerned government agencies are hereby directed to implement and execute rescue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation work in accordance with pertinent operational plans and directives,” Duterte said in his proclamation.

The President also ordered all departments and concerned agencies to coordinate with, and provide or augment the basic services and facilities of affected local government units.

Ompong, which pummeled the country a week ago, left more than P18 billion in damage to public infrastructure and agriculture, the NDRRMC said Monday.

Of the total damage, NDRRMC said P4.4 billion was on public infrastructure and P14.3 billion on agriculture in Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), V and CAR.

A total of 117,685 houses were damaged in Regions I, II, III and CAR, the NDRRMC added. /ee