Additional relief assistance was delivered to communities that were hardly hit by Super Typhoon “Julian” in Batanes and Ilocos Norte, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Monday, Oct. 7.
OCD Administrator, Usec. Ariel Nepomueceno said his office has collaborated with various government bodies and uniformed services to support the typhoon victims in Batanes and Ilocos Norte, which have been placed under a state of calamity.
“We remain committed to assisting the affected communities in Batanes as they recover from Super Typhoon ‘Julian.’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and our NDRRMC [National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council] Chair, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, are closely monitoring the situation and guiding response efforts to address the aftermath of this disaster,” Nepomuceno.
The Office of the President (OP) has extended over P42.78 million in financial assistance to the Batanes local government unit (LGU).
Additionally, various food and non-food items—including shelter repair kits, family food packs, water gallons, sacks of rice, and hygiene kits—were distributed by the OCD and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) also transported 15,000 pounds of essential supplies to Basco, Batanes using a C-130 transport aircraft.
“Our duty is to reach out to our fellow citizens in need of assistance from the national government. It is crucial that we provide them with necessities such as food, water, medicine, and support for rebuilding their homes as quickly as possible. By consistently preparing, planning, and responding to disasters, we can help our countrymen,” Nepomuceno said.
Prior to this, the United States government assisted in the delivery of 1,000 family food packs from the DSWD; 1,000 shelter repair kits from the OCD; 2,500 graded tarpaulin sheets and 1,000 kitchen sets from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to Laoag.
The items will be transferred from Laoag to Batanes using US MV-22 Ospreys and CH-53 helicopters.
Non-Food Items (NFIs) such as hygiene kits, emergency lighting systems, tarpaulin sheets, and blankets were also sent to typhoon victims in Laoag.