Each family affected by Typhoon Odette will get P5,000, says Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte pledged on Monday to give P5,000 cash aid to each family affected by Typhoon Odette, which pummeled several provinces of the Visayas and the northern portions of Mindanao and Palawan from Dec. 16 to 18.
In his regular public address that aired Monday night, Duterte said he was able to pool enough funds to provide cash aid to Odette-hit families.
“There are many of the poor who were affected. We will prioritize them. We have money, anyway,” he said in Filipino. “I will give the usual. I’m giving P5,000 per family.”
The president earlier said he would forego his holiday activities to provide financial assistance to areas hit by Odette.
The military and police would also refrain from going on holiday so that they can ensure that the distribution of grants will take place peacefully with health protocols observed due to COVID-19, Duterte added.
As of Saturday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said that 367 were reported dead due to Typhoon Odette and 51 remained missing.
