ASSISTANCE TO TYPHOON VICTIMS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. addresses the crowd during the distribution of government aid to flood-affected towns in Pampanga province at the Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex and Convention Center in the City of San Fernando on Monday (Aug. 7, 2023). The assistance include food packs and PHP10,000 cash assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development intended for 1,000 beneficiaries of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program. (PNA photo by Rey Baniquet)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday led the distribution of various government assistance to Pampanga residents affected by the weather disturbances, including two typhoons, over the past two weeks.
Among the agencies that extended assistance to Pampanga residents are the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“Kaya po ‘yan po ang aking sadya rito ngayon. Kaya sana naman ay maayos ang ating pagbigay ng tulong sa ating mga kasama, sa ating mga kababayan na inabot nitong bagyong ito, saka ‘yung mga baha na naging resulta ng mga bagyo. (That's why I'm here today. That's why we hope that we will properly provide help to our countrymen who have been affected by this typhoon, as well as the floods due to the typhoon),” Marcos said during the event at Bren Z. Guiao Sports Complex and Convention Center in the City of San Fernando.
Marcos assured that the government would continue to provide support to those affected by the recent typhoons.
The DSWD distributed food packs and PHP10,000 each under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) Program to about 1,000 beneficiaries.
The DOLE - Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program also extended PHP2.3 million to 500 beneficiaries.
The agency has a standby fund of PHP65 million for around 14,000 TUPAD beneficiaries and on Aug. 4, downloaded another PHP30 million in Pampanga through its regional office.
The agency likewise awarded PHP6.4 million worth of livelihood assistance to the towns of Candaba, Macabebe, Masantol, Arayat, Porac and Sta. Ana.
The DA, meanwhile, awarded a certificate worth PHP21.6 million to Pampanga province.
This includes 13,354 bags of certified seeds worth PHP20.2 million to 8,723 farmer-beneficiaries; 186 bags of hybrid yellow corn and 15 bags of open-pollinated variety worth PHP1.1 million to 154 farmer-beneficiaries; and assorted vegetable seeds worth PHP230,000 to 162 farmer-beneficiaries.
Marcos also joined a situation briefing at the Pampanga Capitol to assess the damage of recent typhoons and extensive flooding in the province and to determine additional assistance that could be extended.
Death toll from 'habagat,' typhoons rises to 30
Meanwhile, the reported death toll due to the combined effects of the southwest monsoon (habagat) and Typhoons Egay and Falcon has now climbed to 30, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday.
In its bulletin, the NDRRMC said only four deaths have been confirmed as of this time --two in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and one each in Calabarzon and Western Visayas.
This is higher than the 27 deaths reported last Aug. 2.
Still undergoing confirmation are 26 deaths --13 in Cordillera, eight in Ilocos region, three in Calabarzon and one each in Western Visayas and Davao region.
Persons reported injured were placed at 171, with 152 of which have been confirmed and 19 are still undergoing validation.
Still undergoing confirmation are reports of 10 missing persons --five from Cordillera, four from Cagayan Valley and one in Ilocos region.
Meanwhile, affected population was placed at 871,407 families which is equivalent to 3,249,796 persons residing in 5,073 barangays in 14 regions.
All these numbers are subject to change following validation.
Of these, 11,145 families or 40,485 persons are still being served in 551 evacuation centers, while another 49,406 families or 198,773 individuals are being aided outside.
The Office of Civil Defense earlier said the affected families are a combination of those displaced and those not needing transfer or removal from their residence.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian also attended the situation briefing on all disaster-hit areas and joined President Marcos in inspecting distribution of relief assistance.
“Some 1,000 flood-affected Kapampangans were given family food packs (FFPs) and cash aid worth PHP10,000 through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS),” Gatchalian said in a statement.
To date, he said the DSWD Central Luzon Regional Office has provided more than PHP46.4 million worth of relief assistance to the local government units (LGUs) in the region with over PHP19.1 million distributed to the localities of Pampanga.
During the situation briefing, Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda provided information on the damages caused by widespread flooding due to a series of weather disturbances in the province.
As of Aug. 6, the DSWD recorded a total of 214,343 families affected by floods in different towns of Pampanga. (with Priam Nepomuceno/Zaldy De Layola/PNA)
