President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to identify the average duration of stay of evacuees in evacuation centers during times of calamities.
Marcos Jr. on Monday asked DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo to do so after the latter requested the President to establish evacuation centers in every city or municipality in the country in light of Typhoon Karding, which left parts of Luzon submerged in flood.
"Pagka maganda ang panahon, may araw, nandoon pa rin po 'yung mga evacuees dahil nasira ang bahay nila. So hindi po naka... iyong mga estudyante magsisiksikan sa ibang classrooms (Although the weather is already good, some evacuees are still at evacuation centers because their homes are already damaged. So, some students are crowding into some classrooms)," Tulfo told Marcos Jr.
In return, Marcos Jr. asked Tulfo to "conduct a quick study on how long does it takes for families with partially damaged homes as well as those with completely damaged homes to return home and leave the evacuation centers." The President also ordered DSWD, for the meantime, to ensure that the needs of Karding evacuees are provided "until it is time for them to go home."
Nevertheless, Marcos Jr. said the country "may have gotten lucky at least this time" that the Philippines reported minimal casualties, unlike during other typhoons.
While there were still critics, he believed the government was well-prepared for Karding.
"You might think that we overdid it. There's no such thing as overkill when it comes to disaster. So tama ito (So this is right), you put everything in place," he said.