Luzon under state of calamity

Australian gov’t extends ₱28.5-M typhoon relief aid to PH

- GENALYN KABILING and ROY C. MABASA

President Duterte has placed the entire Luzon under a state of calamity to facilitate the swift relief and rehabilitation efforts in typhoon-hit communities.

In a televised address Tuesday night, the President said he has signed the proclamation on the calamity declaration as recommended by the disaster response authorities.

“Mukhang napirmahan ko na yata last night. I think I signed the proclamation,” Duterte said.

The President was responding to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who reminded him about the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's (NDRRMC’s) recommendation on the Luzon-wide calamity declaration. The council had earlier sought the calamity declaration to address the adverse impact of recent typhoons that battered areas in Luzon.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go supported the NDRRMC recommendation to President Duterte to place the entire Luzon under a state of calamity.

A calamity declaration will help speed up the relief and rebuilding efforts and give leeway in the fund releases. It also allows the imposition of price control measures to ease the economic impact of the calamity on the people.

Dozens of people died while thousands have been displaced from their homes after the powerful typhoons caused massive floods and landslides. Billions of pesos worth of storm damage to agriculture and infrastructure have also been reported by authorities.