Storm-battered Bicol getting P750M in aid

The government will send at least P750 million worth of humanitarian assistance, including monetary aid, to the storm-battered Bicol Region, which has yet to recover from severe tropical storm “Kristine” but was struck anew by super typhoon “Pepito” (“Man-Yi”).

At least 24 trucks loaded with relief goods are bound for Bicol today, Monday, to help over 150,000 residents following a series of typhoons, including “Kristine,” which wreaked havoc in the region in late October.

The initiative, dubbed “Tabang Bikol, Tindog Oragon,” was launched through the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in collaboration with the House of Representatives, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and private donors to deliver immediate relief to the most affected areas in the Bicol Region.

The distribution of financial assistance will begin as early as Monday, with other vital government services, including housing, healthcare, and livelihood programs, set to follow on 21 November.

“This is the directive of our dear President Marcos, to help the victims of the typhoon in Bicol. This initiative is our way of showing that we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our compatriots in Bicol during these challenging times,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said.

Strong winds and heavy rainfall brought by “Pepito” — the sixth major storm to hit the Philippines in less than a month — smashed houses, caused towering tidal surges, displaced thousands of families, and knocked out power lines in Luzon, including in Catanduanes in the Bicol Region and Aurora province in Quezon.

“Pepito” made landfall late Saturday in Catanduanes with sustained winds of 195 kilometers (125 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 240 kph. State weather bureau PAGASA had warned of a “potentially catastrophic and life-threatening situation” in the region and nearby provinces.

Provinces in the Bicol region were either placed on Signal 5 or 4. As of Sunday afternoon, “Pepito” made its second landfall in Aurora, Quezon, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 230 kph.

PAGASA has warned of a “high risk of storm surge” with “life-threatening” inundation from rising sea levels and high waves that could occur within the next 48 hours in low-lying coastal communities in Isabela, Aurora, Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur.

Also at risk are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Zambales, Pangasinan, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon and Marinduque.

The successive typhoons that slammed the Philippines in the past months not only forced thousands of families to evacuate their homes but also drained government resources.

The DSWD had previously announced that the last five weather disturbances prior to “Pepito” nearly exhausted the agency’s Quick Response Fund (QRF) for 2024, with over P1 billion released. The agency was left with only P100 million in standby funds.

However, the Department of Budget and Management has assured that it will replenish the DSWD’s QRF with P875 million in preparation for upcoming calamities.