President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday ordered sustained coordination between the national and local governments to ensure the swift distribution of aid and assistance to residents affected by Severe Tropical Storm Enteng.
“Continue the coordination between the national agencies and the LGUs with DENR, with Public Works para ‘yung ating ginagawa like if there are specific concerns that we can address them as quickly as possible,” President Marcos said in a situation briefing in Antipolo City.
President Marcos emphasized that special concerns should be addressed immediately, as this would indicate that certain areas or groups of people or communities still require immediate attention from the government.
“So, we have to do something special for them,” the President added.
The provincial government of Rizal informed President Marcos that they have already provided all necessary assistance to Enteng-affected residents in the province.
Before concluding the briefing, President Marcos directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to continue distributing relief goods to affected residents. He also instructed the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to maintain collaboration with the LGUs.
The President further ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to closely coordinate with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for clearing operations.
Around 8,036 families, or 31,677 individuals, were affected by Enteng in Rizal province. The storm also caused damage to the Rizal Provincial Hospital system, estimated at PhP533,700.
Shortly after the storm, the DSWD provided PhP11.62 million worth of assistance to affected families and made PhP134.40 million worth of standby funds, food, and non-food items available in the Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region. PND