President Rodrigo Duterte urged Filipinos on Monday to “always be prepared for disaster” before leaving the country to visit leaders of three Middle Eastern countries.
READ: Duterte to visit 3 ME countries
The statement came days after the Philippines was rocked by another series of earthquakes, which damaged some buildings in Luzon.
He said that while affected residents are “still reeling from the damage wrought by the recent earthquake,” he is “relieved that no deaths have been reported despite the reports of aftershocks.”
READ: 3 magnitude-5 earthquakes rattle Luzon
“We are thankful to the national and local agencies in ensuring that the effects of the disaster are mitigated,” he said during his departure speech at the Davao International Airport.
Duterte said that while damage assessment is still ongoing, he has directed concerned agencies “to accelerate the delivery of services and hasten the rehabilitation of the affected public infrastructures and utilities.”
“Rest assured, our government is on top of the situation. I have personally ordered that relief operations be undertaken immediately to restore normalcy in affected areas as soon as possible,” he said. JE/rga