BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
GOVERNMENT is creating a “digital hotline” that will ensure early announcements on suspension of government work and classes during typhoons and other weather disturbances, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cesar Chavez said yesterday.
The new PCO chief said the digital hotline will be handled by personnel from the Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of Civil Defense, Presidential Management Staff, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and the PCO.
The primary task of the digital hotline is to make sure that announcements on suspension of classes and work during weather disturbances are made before 4 a.m.
“We will take the risk. When we say that before 4 o’clock there will be a suspension of classes, we will take the risk even if it eventually gets sunny by 9 or 11 in the morning,” he said in mixed English and Filipino.
President Marcos Jr. recently said he wants the announcements made the night before to enable the public to prepare for it.
Malacañang has issued suspension orders for severe tropical storm “Enteng.”
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), in a situation report, said Enteng has affected 410,371 families or 1,610,322 persons in nine regions in Luzon and the Visayas,
It said Bicol had the biggest number of affected population with 267,073 families or 1,092,422 persons, followed by Central Luzon with 86,765 families or 288,110 persons.
The rest of the affected communities are in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region (NCR).
Of affected population, 23,147 families or 86,894 persons have been displaced. The number was down to 13,847 families or 51,047 persons as of yesterday morning.
On Wednesday, Office of Civil Defense-Operatives Service director Cesar Idio reported to President Marcos Jr that the NDRRMC death toll due to Enteng was 15 persons, with 21 others still missing. The OCD is the implementing arm of the NDRRMC.
Yesterday, the NDRRMC, in its situation report, said the death toll was 13 and 15 others are still missing. The fatalities are broken down into seven in Calabarzon, three in Bicol, two Central Visayas, and one in Western Visayas.
It said flooding was monitored in 345 areas in Metro Manila and six other areas. The NDRRMC said 174 of these areas remain flooded as of yesterday, including 79 in Calabarzon and 74 in Central Luzon.
DAMAGE
The NDRRMC placed the initial cost of damage to infrastructure at P63.45 million in Cagayan Valley, Bicol and CAR alone. The cost of damage to agriculture in region Bicol alone was pegged at P1.2 million.
A total of 651 houses were damaged, the NDRRMC said.
The agency also reported that some P64.69 million worth of assistance has been provided to affected families in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas and NCR.
Enteng made landfall in Casiguran, Aurora last Monday and exited the Philippine area of responsibility last Wednesday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration said Enteng is no longer directly affecting the country but is still enhancing the southwest monsoon, bringing rains to some parts of the country.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development some P102.6 million worth of assistance has been provided to the affected communities, including family food packs and non-food relief items like hygiene, family and kitchen kits.
DSWD Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group (DMRG) Irene Dumlao said some P90,000 in cash assistance has also been provided under the agency’s Assistance to Individual in Crisis Situation (AICS).
She said the DSWD still has over P2.733 billion in standby funds (P134.6 million) and stockpiles of food packs and non-food items (P2.598 billion) that are ready to be tapped and distributed.
QRF REQUEST
Dumlao said the DSWD has requested the Department of Budget and Management to replenish the agency’s quick response funds (QRF) as a chunk has been used to assist those affected by Enteng and typhoon “Carina.”
She said DBM is seeking P875 million to augment its QRF. As of September, the DSWD’s QRF was down to P88.61 million.
Dumlao also said the DSWD is preparing for cyclones that could develop in the next two weeks, as reported by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), by increasing its stockpiles in the warehouses.
She said DSWD is also closely coordinating with other government agencies as part of preparations.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the agency is working with other stakeholders to continue to improve the department’s disaster response capabilities.
“By working together, we believe that your technical support and expertise will help us in our agenda to promote the whole-of-society approach necessary for disaster preparedness, risk reduction, and resilience building,” Gatchalian said in a message for the Humanitarian Summit Wednesday.
The summit serves as a platform to promote inclusivity and collaboration between the government and the private sector in disaster response, risk reduction, and adaptive social protection; and a venue to explore innovative partnerships by aligning current programs and encouraging discussions that will lead to policy development and enhance disaster risk reduction and management strategies.
