Duterte ‘most likely’ to place Bicol, 2 other regions under state of calamity — Palace

President Rodrigo Duterte will “most likely” place Bicol, CALABARZON, and MIMAROPA under a state of calamity due to the devastation caused by typhoons Quinta and Rolly, Malacañang said Monday.

“Most likely po pero antayin natin ‘yung papel mismo na manggagaling sa tanggapan ng Presidente,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference.

Quinta and Rolly barreled through parts of Luzon from late October to early November, killing several people and leaving billions of pesos worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

The devastation brought by the powerful typhoons prompted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) last Friday to recommend to Duterte to place the most affected regions under a state of calamity.

The council also recommended to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and National Housing Authority (NHA) to standardize the Emergency Shelter Assistance where beneficiaries would receive financial assistance to repair their houses.

The NDRRMC also advised the NHA to assist local government units in the relocation of the displaced coming from danger zones and the building of temporary shelters.

It tasked the Department of the Interior and Local Government to submit an update on the status of the local disaster risk reduction and management fund and to recommend possible augmentation of their quick response fund.

The council will also expand the current Philippine Humanitarian Assistance Registry (PHAR) to record and monitor donations for other disasters. — RSJ, GMA News