The United States said on Tuesday it is ready to extend assistance to the Philippines after typhoon “Carina” and two other weather disturbances battered Metro Manila and neighboring regions.
This as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday for the Fourth Philippines-United States 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
In a courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Blinken said, “Let me just start by sending our deepest condolences to all the victims of the recent typhoon and to say again anything we can do to be of assistance, we welcome doing that.”
Austin said, “It really is great to be back in (the) country again and I also offer my condolences to those who have been affected by the storm.”
Blinken and Austin met in the Ministerial Dialogue on Tuesday with their counterparts, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the combined impact of typhoon “Carina,” tropical depression “Butchoy,” and the southwest monsoon or habagat resulted in 36 fatalities.
The NDRRMC said the number of people affected had risen to 4,553,752, or 1,240,090 families. The weather systems affected all 17 regions across the country.
Philippines-US formal diplomatic relations span 78 years since its establishment on 4 July 1946.