Duterte meets top NDRRMC officials for #Habagat2016 response

MANILA, Philippines –“Adequate preparation and prompt response.”

This was the marching order of President Rodrigo Duterte when he met with top National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management  (NDRRMC) officials in Malacañang Monday noon, August 15.

Duterte invited Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Defense Secretary and NDRRMC chair Delfin Lorenzana, and NDRRMC executive director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad to the Palace to get updates on the response efforts of the government to the monsoon rains.

According to Taguiwalo, Jalad discussed the main report of the NDRRMC while she shared the status of the evacuation and relief operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the lead agency for disaster response. 

“For the first two days, the LGUs are able to manage. He asked if we have enough funds. I said for 2016, yes, but that we had to still procure water as this is not included in the family food pack,” Taguiwalo, who is the NDRRMC’s vice chairman for disaster response, told Rappler. 

As of August 14, the DSWD had P740 million worth of relief resources in the regions that are currently and likely to be affected by the Southwest Monsoon. The amount consists of standby funds (P300,060,909.11), 289,825 family food packs (P104,204,972.10), other food items (P117,334,221.21) and non-food items (P218,641,411.17). It also includes the Quick Response Fund (QRF) at the Central Office that is readily available for release to the DSWD field offices.

Taguiwalo earlier said that the public can also donate relief goods, like new clothes and food, directly to DSWD offices or evacuation centers nationwide. (READ:#ReliefPH: How to help those affected by monsoon rains)

Affected areas

Duterte and the NDRRMC officials conducted an aerial survey of the NCR after their meeting. According to Taguiwalo, the President stressed that the government should prioritize the safety of the public, especially the communities near the Marikina and Pasig rivers and La Mesa dam.

As of 2 pm, Monday, about 23,500 families or 112,267 people in 173 barangays were affected in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, and the Negros Island Region.

Nearly 18,450 families or 87,000 were displaced. Of the total number of evacuees, at least 10,750 families or 48,900 people are still inside 113 evacuation centers in NCR, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, while at least 2,900 families or 13,910 people are outside. NCR has the most number of existing evacuation centers at 49 with 3,285 families or 15,723 people.

In a press conference on Monday morning, PAGASA warned parts of Luzon of occasionally heavy rain on Monday as the southwest monsoon continues to affect the island group.  – Rappler.com