President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of aid in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Monday, August 07, 2023, (KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL)
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday led the distribution of aid to people displaced by back-to-back typhoons and the effects of the southwest monsoon or “habagat” in Bulacan and Pampanga.
The severe weather conditions left a trail of destruction in the country that saw 232 areas under a state of calamity.
“Kaya po ‘yan po ang aking sadya rito ngayon. Kaya sana naman ay maayos ang ating pagbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kasama, sa ating mga kababayan na inabot nitong bagyong ito, saka ‘yung mga baha na naging resulta ng mga bagyo,” Marcos said in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
(That is what we came here for today. So I hope we are correctly extending assistance to help our fellow countrymen affected by this storm and the resulting floods.)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of aid in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Monday, August 07, 2023, (KJ ROSALES/PPA POOL)
The Department of Social Welfare and Development distributed P10,000 worth of cash assistance each to 1,000 beneficiaries in Pampanga, as well as food packs.
The agency also distributed food and non-food relief items in Bulacan.
Meanwhile, the President also said that the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority (NHA) is also on standby to provide materials to rebuild damaged houses in Bulacan.
“Mayroon naman nasiraan talaga ng bahay, completely destroyed ang nakalagay sa report. ‘Yung mga completely destroyed ay magbibigay din tayo ng construction material spara naman mayroong maipatayo,” Marcos said in Bulacan.
(There are reports of houses that were destroyed. We will distribute construction materials so those affected can rebuild.)
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s latest report, 3,249,764 people have been affected by the combined effects of Super Typhoon Egay, Typhoon Falcon and the southwest monsoon.
At least 30 were reported dead, with 10 people still missing, while 171 were injured.