Ilocos Norte governor: Typhoon victims need water
A flooded street due to Typhoon Egay in Batac, Ilocos Norte (Photos courtesy of Jerry Yapo)
MANILA, Philippines — Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Manotoc said food packs are not an issue in the region in the wake of Typhoon Egay’s fury in Northern Luzon but pointed out that displaced residents are likewise in need of clean and safe drinking water.
“[The Department of Social Welfare and Development] has [distributed] food packs [in Ilocos Norte], so I don’t think food packs are an issue, [but] drinking water is still a need. Our priorities now are water, electricity, and housing,” said Manotoc in a briefing presided by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday.
The President stressed that the problem should be addressed beyond just providing bottled water and asked the Office of the Civil Defense if water purification units have been made available in the region.
The Office of Civil Defense said two water filtration machines have already arrived in the region, and that a truck from Camp Aguinaldo which can produce at least 24,000 liters of water a day is already on its way.
“We have to look and see to increase our capability because it looks like this is going to be happening more often than we hope,” said Marcos.
Nearly 60,000 displaced
In the same briefing, Manotoc disclosed that Egay has affected 59,624 individuals or 16,879 families in Ilocos Norte.
Four deaths were reported in the Ilocos region.
“Habagat” rains
The state weather bureau said Egay exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Thursday.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration weather specialist Benison Estareja, however, pointed out that the typhoon, which is now over mainland China, is still enhancing the southwest monsoon or “habagat” and affecting Luzon and the Visayas.
