PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Sec. Rex Gatchalian to focus on the early recovery and rehabilitation of families and individuals severely affected by super typhoon Egay.

Gatchalian vowed to continue providing much needed assistance in the areas affected by ST Egay.

“The heavy rainfall brought about by Egay was unprecedented, causing massive flooding in many parts of the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions,” the DSWD chief noted.

According to PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration), typhoon Egay dumped more than a month’s rain in its two Ilocos stations in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte and Sinait in Ilocos Sur.

“In 48 hours, between 8 a.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, Laoag City recorded 620 millimeters of rain, more than the station’s average July rainfall of 478.9 millimeters.

Sinait station registered 578.1 mm of precipitation, also more than its monthly normal of 529.8 millimeters for July,” PAGASA reported.

Between Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning, Egay also dumped almost a month’s volume of rain in Aparri, Cagayan at 194 millimeters, according to PAGASA.

Widespread flooding was observed in several towns in northwestern mainland Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Abra and Ilocos Sur, while multiple landslides ravaged Mountain Province and Benguet in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

In line with the President’s directive to assess the damage in the areas affected by typhoon Egay, Secretary Gatchalian ordered the DSWD Regional Directors to ensure the swift and unhampered delivery of assistance and services to affected families and individuals.

The DSWD chief said the cash-for-work can run for 30-45 days and will provide alternative livelihood to typhoon-affected residents as part of their early recovery and rehabilitation after the calamity.

“Ang initial salvo is family food packs. Ang instruction ng Pangulo, walang residente na apektado ang dapat magutom pero hindi dyan nagwawakas ang instruction ng ating Pangulo,” Secretary Gatchalian explained.

The Social Welfare chief has also instructed the Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) to replenish the prepositioned food supplies as soon as possible in anticipation of typhoon “Falcon,” which will enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) next week.

Data from the DSWD-Disaster Response and Management Bureau (DRMB) indicated that as of this date, some P2.1 billion worth of food and non-food items have been prepositioned in various DSWD warehouses all over the country.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco