There should be no bureaucracy before providing assistance to those affected by natural calamities, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday.
During a situational briefing he presided over in Maguindanao after the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm "Paeng," the President told the region's local chief executives and his Cabinet members to ensure immediate distribution of relief goods as well as to make their standard operating procedures "more efficient."
"Wag na natin masyadong intindihin yung bureaucracy. Basta parating natin yung relief. Alam mong naghihingalo na yung tao eh, life and death na para sa kanila ito (Let's not mind bureaucracy. We have to bring relief to the people. They are already gasping for it. It's a matter of life and death for them)," he said.
Marcos' order came as he recalled the ticketing system imposed by a barangay official in Leyte after Typhoon Yolanda to prevent multiple claims of relief goods.
According to the President, there was nothing with it because people would get more relief packs to ensure they could still even eat in the following days.
While he understood that local government officials were just "drawing up procedures," Marcos said what is more important is to get as much relief goods as possible.
"There is no such thing as sobrang relief goods. Kung anong meron tayo ibigay natin agad (Let's give what we already have)," he said.
"It's not important who gives it... basta dumating ang relief goods doon sa taong nangangailangan (as long as the relief goods go to those who need them)," he added.
After STS "Paeng" that took Maguindanao by surprise, Marcos said there should be more joint operation between the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and its local government units.
"You have to have joint operations to maximize all of your assets dahil (because) there is only so much kaya kailangan naka focus (so we need to focus)," he said.