President Marcos assured Bicolanos that the government would send rubber boats and other assistance to the region amid the onslaught of Tropical Storm Kristine.

Marcos said this after former vice president Leni Robredo requested for the deployment of more rubber boats and other rescue equipment to areas hit by the typhoon in the Bicol Region.

In an interview, the President told reporters that the government was already beginning to "marshal our assets."

"Yeah, as soon as we can get in. As soon as makapasok kami (we can come), we will be doing that," he said on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

"And we are now beginning to marshal our assets, like for example, rubber boats. Hanggang Mindanao kukunin na muna namin at dadalhin namin dito sa area ng pangangailangan (Including Mindanao, we will temporarily get assets and bring them to the affected areas)," he added.

In a situation briefing on Wednesday morning, Marcos ordered government agencies to immediately start rescue and relief operations in the Bicol region, telling the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to use the necessary equipment to open up all the roads and bridges blocked by debris due to landslides.

If the roads are not passable, the President said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should coordinate with the Department of National Defense (DND) for airlifting relief goods, medical equipment, and other necessary items for immediate distribution to affected communities.

"We can ask the Coast Guard also. The Coast Guard also plays a part in that naman. So, mag-ready na tayo (we should get ready)," he said.

During the briefing, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said the heavy rains brought by Kristine inundated large areas in Bicol, affecting more than 150,000 residents, based on its latest assessment.

In Camarines Sur, local officials said 300 out of 600 barangays are flooded due to the continuous rainfall.

'Prepare for the worst'

Meanwhile, the President said Filipinos in other regions should be made to "prepare for the worst" as he called on the agencies to prepare regions next to be hit by the typhoon.

"There’s nothing we can do except wait for it (the storm) to pass, give all the warnings we can give, evacuate as many people as we can," he said.

"But we really have to… yung tinatawag na just batten down the hatches for a day, and make sure that everybody has what they need, everybody has the emergency supplies," he added.

According to the OCD, it is coordinating with other areas, specifically with Western and Central Visayas for the provision of rubber boats to augment rescue efforts in the regions.

On the other hand, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian told President Marcos that the agency retained the two-million mark in terms of the national stockpile, or the total number of stockpiled goods nationwide.