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| President Duterte has signed Proclamation No. 1267, declaring a State of Calamity in Regions 4-B, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 13 as a result of Typhoon Odette's devastation. Photo: Inabanga/Facebook |
The Palace official stated that the declaration of a State of Calamity is intended to expedite the government's rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts, as well as to control the prices of goods in typhoon-affected areas.
"Before declaring a State of Calamity, we need to conduct a thorough assessment of the extent of the typhoon's damage. And then, because we now have a more complete assessment of the extent of damage caused by Typhoon Odette from various agencies and personal visits by the President to various provinces and localities, we now have the basis for declaring a State of Calamity," Secretary Nograles explained.
Apart from declaring a State of Calamity, the President has also directed the release of funds to assist all those affected by Typhoon Odette, according to Sec. Nograles. He also stated that the government will continue to raise funds to assist all those affected by the typhoon.
"We'd like to express our gratitude to the Filipino people, the private sector, private companies, and ordinary Filipinos who, on their own, through their own initiatives, or through various efforts, have truly demonstrated the Bayanihan spirit of helping each other and helping one another," Nograles said.
The Palace official also thanked everyone who has pledged to help the affected areas and families, including Metro Manila mayors, who approved a P100-million supplemental budget to help Odette-affected areas.
"We are also grateful to our international friends, partners, and allies for their offers of assistance. Among these are, among others, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the United Nations, and the State of Qatar. Maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyo," Sec. Nograles said.
He also assured everyone that the government and the President are already taking action on everything that needs to be done.
"The President is making personal visits, personal assessments, personal calls; he's hands-on in everything. The government is in command of the situation. We're doing everything in terms of budget, the necessary moves, the necessary actions, and everything else. And, as I previously stated, the President is making personal visits. As we speak, the President will be returning to the Dinagat Islands and Siargao to personally assess the situation, lend a helping hand, and issue Presidential directives to the relevant government agencies," Nograles concluded. (Source: OPS)