President Marcos said his office will provide P25 million in financial assistance for the victims of Super Typhoon Julian in Batanes province.
Mr. Marcos visited the areas hit by “Julian” in the province’s capital Basco on Friday and led the distribution of government assistance to affected families.
The President said the office of Speaker Martin Romualdez would also release about P15 million for “Julian”-hit families.
Each household would receive P10,000 in cash aid, Mr. Marcos said.
During the event, about 2,000 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and 40,000 kilograms of rice from the Office of Civil Defense were distributed.
About 800 pieces of lumber and 800 galvanized iron sheets were also handed over to Batanes residents whose houses were destroyed during the onslaught of Julian.
Mr. Marcos said the national government already sent about 14,000 food packs for the affected families in Batanes, of which 7,000 have already been distributed.
He said an additional 14,000 food packs would be distributed to the typhoon victims.
“We are here to find out what you need. And fortunately, before the typhoon came, we had already sent thousands of food packs, so when the typhoon entered, we were able to distribute them immediately,” Mr. Marcos said.
Batanes is among the provinces battered by the super typhoon, leaving 7,088 families or 21,348 individuals affected in its wake.
Batanes’ provincial government declared a state of calamity on Tuesday evening.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said five persons were reported dead due to “Julian.”
Two of the fatalities – one each in the Ilocos region and Cagayan Valley – have been confirmed while the remaining three from the Ilocos region were being validated.
Eight persons were injured in Cagayan Valley while one person was reported missing in the Cordillera region.
About 69,290 families equivalent to 242,973 persons residing in 828 barangays in the Cordillera and Ilocos regions and Cagayan Valley were affected.
Damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at P309.1 million and P738.1 million, respectively.
The DSWD, through its field office in Cagayan Valley, provided psychosocial first aid, among other interventions, to the evacuees of “Julian” in the region.
“Apart from providing family food packs, the DSWD also ensures the overall well-being of families affected by Super Typhoon Julian,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Juan Carlo Marquez said.
