Govs thank Marcos for prompt release of financial aid to 'Basyang'-hit areas
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convenes a meeting with governors of calamity-stricken provinces on Feb. 11, 2026. (Photo courtesy of PCO)
Governors from six provinces thanked President Marcos for ordering the immediate release of financial assistance to thousands of people displaced by recent Tropical Storm Basyang.
In a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Office of the Executive Secretary said the governors from Cebu, Iloilo, Eastern Samar, Surigao del Sur, Aklan, and Bohol conveyed their gratitude to the President through a joint statement.
“We thank President BBM for the timely help, which we are sure would ease the suffering and pain caused by the storm to our constituents,” the governors said.
The governors assured the President that they would use the funds to help those whose homes and lives have been impacted, provide relief goods and undertake needed repairs on damaged roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.
They also promised to augment such funds with local resources, stressing that helping the affected communities "is a shared responsibility of the national government and local government units."
Marcos has recently ordered the release of a total of P321 million to 34 provinces and eight cities affected by Basyang and the shear line.
He gave the order to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto following his meeting last week with several provincial governors.
Recto said the funds are now being released as directed by the President.
On Feb. 11, Marcos convened governors from provinces hardest hit by "Basyang" to ensure a swift and coordinated government response.
During the meeting, the President ordered the early release of disaster funds, faster and simplified aid distribution, and the immediate delivery of seeds to help farmers resume agricultural activities.
The Chief Executive also directed preparations for financial assistance programs and intensified river-clearing operations to mitigate future flooding.
The governors also thanked the Chief Executive for his administration’s increasing engagement of local government units (LGUs) in implementing national programs.
The joint statement was issued by Governors Pamela Baricuatro of Cebu, Arthur Defensor Jr. of Iloilo, Ralph Vincent Evardone of Eastern Samar, Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, Erico Aristotle Aumentado of Bohol, and Jose Enrique Miraflores of Aklan.