While President Marcos disclosed that Super Typhoon Pepito has left one casualty in Camarines Norte, he said the typhoon, which also caused storm surges before making landfall, "wasn't as bad as we feared."
This, he said, was due to the help of the people and their continuous monitoring.
"Kaya’t kahit papaano, sa lakas ng Pepito ay hindi kasing sama ng aming kinakatakutan (That is why even with the strength of Pepito, it was not as bad as we feared). It wasn’t as bad as we feared," Marcos said in an interview on the sidelines of the 49th National Prayer Breakfast in Malacañang on Monday, Nov. 18.
He reported that Pepito has left one casualty in Camarines Norte, which, he said, was "a casualty too many."
"Well, we have been monitoring Pepito all night. At unfortunately, I’m sorry and saddened to report that mayroon tayong casualty na isa sa Cam Norte (that we have one casualty in Camarines Norte)."
"And you know my feelings about that is that one casualty is one casualty too many. So, that is unfortunate," he added.
The President said the rescue operations in isolated areas will continue, as well as the sending of relief assistance to those who have been displaced by the super typhoon.
"[W]e will now carry on with the rescue of those isolated areas and the continuing relief for those who are – who have been displaced and have no means to prepare their own meals and have no water supplies," he said.
He commended and thanked the first responders and the local government units (LGUs) for tirelessly working since the previous typhoons that barreled the country.
"I’m sure that they are exhausted. I am sure that they have done – they continue to do and work as hard as they can. Kaya’t tayo po’y nagpapasalamat sa kanila (We are thankful to them)," Marcos said.
Rebuilding will also continue in heavily affected areas, he said, encouraging Filipinos to send help to typhoon victims this Christmas.
"Rebuilding will also start to continue as well. So, sana naman pagkadating ng Pasko, tayong mga Pilipino, alalahanin naman natin ang mga ating mga kababayan na kahit papaano – na nasalanta (I hope this Christmas, we Filipinos would remember our fellowmen who were hit by the typhoon)," he said.
"At kahit papaano sana yung ating – sanang gawing pamasko, ipamahagi na lang natin sa kanila. Kawawa naman at sila’y naghihirap (And I hope we can give them something this Christmas. They are in a tough situation right now)," he added.
In his speech at the 49th Philippine National Prayer Breakfast, he also called on Filipinos to unite in the face of death and destruction left by the spate of typhoons in the country.
“Our collective faith and prayer to the Almighty is the most powerful tool that we have to weather these storms and the destruction that they bring,” Marcos said.