President Duterte signed on Tuesday, Dec. 21 a declaration placing six regions in the country under a "state of calamity" after they were pummelled by typhoon "Odette" over the weekend.
Duterte signed the document on camera during his pre-recorded "Talk to the People" public briefing late Tuesday night in Davao City.
"There are many regions in the country were battered by typhoon Odette in the past days. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council...the NDRRMC came out with a resolution recommending that a state of calamity be declared over the affected areas...Yun pinirmahan ko (That's what I signed)," he said.
Duterte enumerated the areas placed under a state of calamity as Regions IV-B, VI, VII, VIII, X and XIII.
"I'm flying tomorrow, balik ako doon (I'll go back there)," he said, without specifying which areas he would be visiting.
"Malakas yung bagyo na dumaan sa buhay natin at (We've just experienced a strong typhoon and) we are doing everything we can. Pina-fast-track ko (I'm fast-track it)," added the Chief Executive.
Since Saturday, Duterte has visited Siargao, Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Occidental---provinces that felt the wrath of Odette.
He said the declaration of a state of calamity will hasten the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector. He said this would cover assistance coming from both within and outside the country.
"This would also be an effective mechanism to control the prices of goods and commodities in the areas," Duterte noted.
Under Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, a “state of calamity” is defined as “a condition involving mass casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of means of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural or human-induced hazard”.
The following measures are imposed whenever a state of calamity is declared by the Philippine national government: appropriation for calamity funds, price freeze for basic necessities, and granting of no-interest loans.
Technically, the entire Philippines is already under a state of calamity due to the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Last September, the President signed Proclamation No.1218, which enforced an extension of one year to the state of calamity from Sept. 13, 2021 to Sept. 12, 2022, “unless earlier lifted or extended as circumstances may warrant”.