Marcos orders quick aid to Davao provinces flood victims

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered  concerned government agencies to provide immediate assistance to victims of floods and landslides in Davao Del Sur and Davao Occidental.

In a statement, Marcos said he received reports of flash floods and landslides in areas in the two Davao provinces due to heavy rains caused by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

“Our concerned agencies have already taken the actions needed to secure the affected individuals,” he said.

“The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are currently doing clearing operations, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is now distributing relief and continues to monitor the evacuation centers to assess further assistance needed,” he added.

Marcos said the NDRRMC has also been conducting search and rescue operations since Thursday morning.

The President said that he also ordered the DSWD to make sure that all evacuees get immediate help.

“They assured us that teams on the ground are continuously repacking relief goods,” he added.

Marcos is currently in Thailand for the APEC Summit.

According to weather bureau PAGASA, the ITCZ may bring cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over the regions of Visayas, Mindanao and Bicol and the provinces of Palawan and Quezon.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of the country may experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms caused by the localized thunderstorms.

PAGASA warned the public on possible flash floods and landslides due to the rainfall.—LDF, GMA Integrated News