AID DISTRIBUTION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the distribution of assistance to Batanes residents affected by the onslaught of Super Typhoon Julian, at the Oval Plaza in Basco town on Friday (Oct. 4, 2024). During the event, Marcos announced that the Office of the President would release PHP25 million for the typhoon victims. (Photo courtesy of Malacañang Press Corps Pool)
MANILA – The Office of the President (OP) will provide PHP25 million in financial assistance for the typhoon victims in Batanes province, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced Friday.
Marcos visited the areas hit by Super Typhoon Julian in the province's capital Basco and led the distribution of government assistance to affected families.
“Ang Office of the President naman ay magre-release kami ng PHP25 million para sa inyo (The Office of the President will release PHP25 million for you),” he told the affected families.
The President said the office of House of Representatives Speaker Martin Romualdez would also release about PHP15 million for Julian-hit families.
He said each household would receive PHP10,000 worth of cash aid.
During the event, about 2,000 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and 40,000 kg. 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.
Marcos said the national government has already sent about 14,000 food packs for the affected families in Batanes, 7,000 of which have already been distributed.
He said an additional 14,000 food packs would be distributed to the typhoon victims.
“Kaya kami nandito para matignan kung ano ba talaga ang inyong pangangailangan. At mabuti na lang, bago dumating yung bagyo ay nakapagdala na kami ng libu-libo na food pack kaya pagdaan nung bagyo ay nakapag-distribute na kaagad (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),” 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.
NDRRMC: 5 dead from 'Julian' onslaught
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said five persons were reported dead due to the super typhoon.
Its latest situation update on Friday said two of these five 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.
A total of 1,882 houses were reported damaged in these regions.
Damage to agriculture and infrastructure was estimated at PHP309.1 million and PHP738.1 million, respectively. (With Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
