MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed sympathy to the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name Trami), assuring them that the national government was “working around-the-clock” to provide all the necessary assistance.
In a speech, the President said he was grateful for the resilience, leadership, and proactive measures undertaken by the local government units (LGUs), which “have saved many, many lives.”
“Being first responders, the local government units are those – are the ones – are the entities that we count on for that very first response. And they have as usual come through and have done everything that is possible – that’s humanly possible to provide relief, to provide rescue, and to provide assistance to all those who are in peril,” Marcos said.
“We, in the National Government, are working around-the-clock to provide all the assistance needed by our LGUs and our people affected by this storm,” he added.
Marcos said he has ordered the rapid deployment of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and its resources to assist in the relief operations, especially to the Bicol Region.
“Because, of course, Bicol has become one of the areas where the flooding has not – taking time to go away simply because of the topography of the Bicol River Basin,” Marcos said.
“In any case, I am happy – I might be able to say that a C-130 left Manila at 6:49 today and with the following assets: satellite communication, gensets, gensets for the satellite communication, water filtration units and other personnel,” he added.
“The 525th ECB Philippine Army 20 SAR operators, search and rescue operators, two inflatable rescue boats have been deployed. 40 rescue boats have also been deployed,” he added.
Marcos said there was another element of Black Hawk helicopters in Legazpi and are attempting to go to Naga City.
“We have a weather window of about two days for air operations in Bicol. And we will try to take full advantage of all that,” Marcos said.
“We have put at the disposal of the NDRRMC all of the assets of the AFP, especially air lift assets,” he added.
In Camarines Sur, Marcos said of the 36 towns, nine towns were still fully submerged while around six towns were partially submerged.
“But the province has been very very quick in distributing food distribution and every area has already been reached and we are augmenting the province’s food supplies,” he said.
The President said they have also set triage camps on both sides of Maharlika Highway that is presently still cut off.
“So those are providing food and medicines on site and we are in constant contact with our local government units so that we are in close coordination with the first responders who are of course, those who guide us in where the most critical areas are,” he said.
“We will continue to do this, we are just unfortunately, Kristine is expected to leave, to go, to leave the Philippine area of responsibility matagal pa,” he added.
