Hasten flood victims’ aid in Samar, Marcos orders

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways to guarantee the roads are clear, facilitating swift aid distribution to flood victims in Samar.

Marcos also ordered concerned agencies to speed up the relief operations for flood victims in Northern and Eastern Samar.

"The public works — as soon as the public works are able to enter, do the necessary repairs so that bigger vehicles can enter — as soon as it's passable, all efforts can go in and do the repairs necessary," Marcos said.

"We are doing everything that we can. But let's work with those who are in the evacuation centers – including those at home… we have to go and make sure that they get the food packs, they get sufficient water supply," he added.

Marcos added that the Department of Agriculture will extend support by distributing seedlings and other agricultural products to families affected by the floods.

The state weather bureau, PAGASA, reported that Catarman received more than a month's worth of rain in just 24 hours, attributed to the shear line, where cold and warm air converge.

More than 24,000 families were compelled to evacuate due to the weather disturbance, prompting the declaration of a state of calamity in the province.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended the declaration due to infrastructure and crop damage caused by the extensive flooding.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, one fatality was reported, and 721,627 people or 180,788 families were affected in Western and Eastern Visayas due to the combined impact of the shear line and LPA.