THE situation in areas hit by typhoon “Odette” last week is improving and slowly moving towards normalcy, Ricardo Jalad, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and administrator of the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.
“It’s actually improving,” Jalad said just two days after President Duterte placed six regions under a state of calamity. The six are the Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Mimaropa, and Caraga.
Jalad accompanied President Duterte during a visit to Surigao del Sur and Dinagat Islands on Wednesday.
Duterte, during the visit to Siargao Island and Dinagat Islands, ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide financial aid to each family affected by Odette.
It was not yet clear if the cash assistance will be for all affected families in the six regions under state of calamity or just for the families in Dinagat and Siargao island.
Jalad said power and communication lines are gradually being restored in the affected areas and national roads are now open although not fully cleared of debris.
On communication lines, Jalad said signal is back in some areas, including in Surigao City “but it’s not yet full restoration, there’s still no data, only voice (calls).
“It’s still weak but at least our banking system, which is dependent on electricity and telco, is already starting to resume (operation),” he said.
Jalad said returning to normalcy may take time but said “we are slowly getting there.”
Jalad massive relief operations for the typhoon victims are also improving.
“We have many flights, employing Boeing cargo airplanes 737 from Clark, bringing food to the affected areas,” he said.
Military aircraft and ships are also being used to transport relief goods. “We’ve mobilized all Armed Forces air assets and sea vessels in the delivery to the (affected) areas,” he said.
The AFP Eastern Mindanao Command has formed a task force that will supervise the relief mission in Eastern Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the NDRRMC’s Odette death toll rose yesterday to 258 but this is still over 100 short of the PNP’s count of 375. Of the 258 reported deaths, it said 11 are validated and confirmed. The NDRRMC’s count is the official one. It said its number is lower than the PNP because the council is cautious in the accounting of the dead.
