Egay-hit Northern Luzon residents can count on gov’t aid – Romualdez

DELUGE IN THE NORTH Torrential rains and gusty winds whipped up by Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) left a trail of destruction across Northern Luzon on Wednesday. In La Trinidad, Benguet, a stretch of Pines Park Diversion Road was flooded.  (Photo from La Trinidad municipal government)

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Thursday called for calm and assured Northern Luzon residents affected by Typhoon Egay that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing everything to extend assistance in hard-hit areas.

“President Marcos is doing everything he can to assist, help and provide assistance to Super Typhoon Egay victims. We want to make sure that at this time of extreme need, the people should feel that their government is with them,” Romualdez said.

“We have already raised funds for relief, and we are trying to raise more. We expressed gratitude to all first responders. What is important is we help bring back the lives of victims to normalcy,” he added.

Romualdez said he would visit some of the affected areas on Friday, when he returns from Malaysia. 

Romualdez is in Kuala Lumpur as part of the President’s delegation during the latter’s state visit to Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the Speaker said that the fund-raising initiative of his office and that of Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre have already raised P128.5 million in relief goods and financial assistance.

Before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility, Egay made landfall in Aparri, Cagayan, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 240 kph.

 gsg/abc