Admittedly disheartened by the destruction caused by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” and of the heavy work of recovery ahead, Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday, Oct. 29, assured Filipinos that the government is on top of the situation, and is ready to provide “immediate assistance.”

“My thoughts and prayers are with our fellow Filipinos who perished because of Typhoon Paeng and the thousands of families left homeless or displaced as it ravaged many parts of the country,” the official said in a statement.

And while “initial assessment of the extent of the devastation left by Paeng is already profoundly disheartening, and recovery is expected to be a heavy undertaking,” she promised that the Marcos administration’s priority is to provide “immediate assistance” to affected families.

“Rest assured that government institutions and Local Government Units are working nonstop and leading emergency operations in response to the crisis brought on by Typhoon Paeng,” she said.

Paeng has already left 45 people dead, with several others injured or missing. Some 280 homes have also been damaged in Regions 6, 7, 11, 12, CARAGA and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), according to the latest official reports.

READ: ‘Undas’ nightmare: ‘Shocked’ officials devastated by Typhoon ‘Paeng’s’ wrath

It made landfall in Camarines Sur at midnight of Oct. 19, and in the southeastern portion of Batangas at noon.

Paeng is also expected to bring in heavy rains and winds in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Cavite and Bataan this afternoon.

Before it made landfall, heavy rains brought by the typhoon already caused landslides and flash floods in Visayas and Mindanao, with Maguindanao and Cotabato so far reporting the worst damages on homes and public infrastructure, including major roads and bridges.

#PaengPH is still a trending topic on social media site Twitter as Filipinos spread information, ask for donations, and coordinate aid for those affected.