Residents gather next to their destroyed house in Carcar, Philippines’ Cebu province on December 18, 2021, days after Typhoon Odette hit the city. (VICTOR KINTANAR / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The national government has committed P2 billion to aid Visayas and Mindanao residents displaced by Typhoon Odette, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said Sunday.
Nograles said that President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed government agencies to “use all government assets we can” in order to provide for people affected by the typhoon.
“Hahanapan po talaga natin ng paraan ang lahat ng pangangailangan especially pagdating sa pondo, but si Pangulong Duterte has already committed P2 billion, ‘yung funding na ibibigay niya na P2 billion ang i-a-allocate niya to help ‘yung needs natin para sa mga naging biktima ng Typhoon Odette,” Nograles said in an interview on DZBB.
(We will look for funds for the needs of the people. President Rodrigo Duterte has already committed P2 billion funds to provide for the needs of the victims of the typhoon.)
Nograles said that the Department of Social Welfare and Development already has P1 billion worth of pre-positioned goods in affected areas.
He said the Department of Public Works and Highways is already clearing roads in order to hasten the transport of the relief items.
Military assets will also be used for the delivery of supplies in affected areas.
Citing information from the Office of the Civil Defense, the Palace official noted that over 200,000 families or 780,000 individuals were affected in 2,322 typhoon-hit villages.
He added that over 74,000 families are in 2,000 evacuation centers as of Saturday.
Typhoon Odette has left 31 people dead, three injured, and one missing, based on the situationer report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as of Sunday morning.
Some provincial governments, however, have reported higher death tolls.