Marcos: Public safety comes first as gov't responds to widespread floods
At A Glance
- According to Marcos, government agencies, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), are conducting rescue and relief operations in severely affected areas.
President Marcos assured the public that the government would continue prioritizing their safety and welfare as parts of the country remain flooded due to the enhanced southwest monsoon and back-to-back storms.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.
“Sa gitna ng kalamidad, inuuna (ng) inyong pamahalaan ang kaligtasan, kalusugan at kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino (In times of disaster, your government puts first the safety, health, and welfare of every Filipino),” the President said in his arrival statement following a three-day official visit to the United States.
According to Marcos, government agencies, in coordination with local government units (LGUs), are conducting rescue and relief operations in severely affected areas.
“Patuloy ang ating pagtugon sa epekto ng malakas na pag-ulan at pagbaha, dulot ng Habagat sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa (Our response to the heavy rains and flooding caused by the Habagat across different parts of the country continues),” he said.
With this, Marcos urged the public to cooperate with authorities and follow weather advisories, including evacuation orders, if necessary.
Malacañang has suspended classes in several areas affected by the inclement weather. Meanwhile, government workers not part of the frontline and emergency response are not required to report for work physically.
Amid the downpours triggered by the southwest monsoon and two tropical storms, the President said the Philippine government requested assistance from the US Indo-Pacific Command to support relief efforts.
He thanked the American government not just for its hospitality during his official visit, but also for pledging to help communities affected by the Habagat.
Speaking to reporters shortly after meeting US President Donald Trump at the White House, President Marcos confirmed that Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites were being used to accelerate aid distribution to flood-hit areas.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who accompanied Marcos on the trip, said relief goods were already prepositioned in EDCA locations, including Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
“The EDCA sites that are up and running, maybe Fort Magsaysay, do contain relief goods already prepositioned,” he said.