MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved Thursday (Nov 6) the declaration of a national calamity across the Philippines due to the onslaught of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) and the anticipated impact of the potential Super Typhoon Uwan.
He made the announcement in brief remarks to reporters after chairing a briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Quezon City.
“Because of the scope of the problem areas that have been hit by Tino and will be hit by Uwan, there was a proposal from the NDRRMC — which I approved — that we will declare a national calamity,” he told reporters.
“Almost 10 regions, around 10 to 12 regions, will be affected. So if that many areas are involved, with that kind of scope, then it’s a national calamity,” he added.
The proclamation of a national calamity will enable government agencies to draw from emergency funds and fast-track the procurement of essential goods and services for typhoon victims.
While government efforts are ongoing to assist those affected by Typhoon Tino, Marcos said that preparations are now underway for the impact of potential Super Typhoon Uwan.
“Of course, we won’t leave Cebu until everything is in place. It’s the same thing — we’ll do as much as we can to anticipate. Because if we anticipate well and prepare well, we can do a lot to lessen the impact. But Tino was really heavy,” he said.
“We are continuing our relief support for those who were affected by Typhoon Tino. But we are also doing everything we can to anticipate and prepare well for the approaching Typhoon Uwan,” Marcos added.
As of Thursday morning, the reported death toll from Typhoon Tino rose to 114 in Cebu province, according to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Spokesperson Diego Mariano.
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau said that the likelihood of a super typhoon making landfall over the Philippine landmass “is becoming more likely.”
The weather disturbance, still classified as a tropical depression, was last spotted 1,985 kilometres east of northeastern Mindanao over the Philippine Sea. It was moving westward at 20 kph before shifting west-northwest toward the Philippine Area of Responsibility. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
