MANILA, Philippines — The government is working to balance ongoing rebuilding efforts from past calamities with preparations for potential damage from the incoming typhoons, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
In an interview at the sidelines of Seatrade Cruise Asia 2024 on Monday evening, Marcos said relief goods and equipment needed to assist victims of Typhoon Nika (international name: Toraji) were already prepositioned.
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However, he also expressed concern over the low pressure area outside the Philippine area of responsibility, which is also expected to affect the country.
“It becomes a little complicated because, generally speaking, kapag nagkaroon tayo ng bagyo… ito yung nasira, ito yung kailangan gawin, ayusin natin muna lahat ‘yan,” Marcos said.
(When we have a typhoon… this is what got damaged, this is what needs to be done, let’s fix all of that first.)
“Ngayon, sinasabi natin, mag-isip-isip tayo kasi kung aayusin natin, tapos sisirain na naman ang susunod ng bagyo, sayang lang yung ating ginawa. So kailangan natin mag-plano. Pero ‘yung mga tao, kailangan na may kuryente, kailangan na may food supply, kailangan na may tubig, kailangan na ayusin ang kanilang bahay,” he added.
(Now, we say, let’s think about it because if we fix it and then the next typhoon destroys it again, all our efforts would be wasted. So, we need to plan. But people need electricity, they need food supply, they need water, they need to fix their homes.)
These efforts to rebuild areas lashed by recent torrential rains and flooding and preparation efforts for the upcoming typhoon are the “tightrope” that government agencies are “trying to navigate,” he said.
‘No textbook to follow’
In the same interview, Marcos also admitted that he was surprised by the recent consecutive typhoons that hit the country.
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“We don’t have a textbook to follow; we don’t have a template to follow [in] this climate change and this new reality that we are having to face,” he said.
“I’ve been around for a long time; I don’t remember seeing this many, sunud-sunod (consecutive), of this strength. Maaari ‘yung isang malakas tapos may susunod na isa, may hangin ng konti, pero hindi ‘yung sunod-sunod na malakas (It could be one strong one followed by another with just some wind, but not back-to-back strong ones),” he added, referring to the typhoons.
Marcos then reiterated that government agencies are constantly monitoring the expected effects of Nika.