THE National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Saturday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a national state of calamity for an entire year due to the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng.
NDRRMC executive director Raymundo Ferrer told Marcos in a virtual meeting that
16out of 17 Philippine regions are classified as high risk due to the cyclone that unleashed flash floods and landslides, The Philippines should “declare a national state of calamity due to the effects, damage and projected impacts by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng for a period of one year, unless earlier lifted,” Ferrer said.
The NDRRMC also recommends that the country “accept offers of international assistance based on needs,” he said.
Marcos said he would wait for the NDRRMC’s official resolution, which he needs to approve for the state of calamity to be officially declared.
“Sabagay madaming regions ang affected so that justifies the state of calamity,” the President said.
(Considering that many regions are affected, that justifies the state of calamity.)
A state of calamity allows the government to tap calamity funds, prevent a price hike on basic necessities, and grant interest-free loans.
As of 12 noon, the NDRRMC has placed the official death toll at 45, sharply revising an initial reported tally of 72.
Officials said some fatalities were erroneously tallied twice from Mindanao, which for most of the deaths due to landslides and flooding which started on Friday.
Paeng has affected 271,259 individuals or around 72,000 families in 10 regions, data from the NDRRMC showed.
At least 37 landslides were recorded, while 219 areas were flooded, it reported.
