Philippine President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday maintained that the situation in Tacloban City, one of the areas hit hardest by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), remains under control.
Interviewed in Tacloban City, the President said the government is also working to allay fears that there may not be enough food and water.
“I believe so,” he said when asked if he believes the situation is under control amid reports of looting.
President Aquino said the challenge is to show the people here that “they don’t have to be desperate, it’s coming, if it’s not already on the way.”
“Because they don’t have TV, radio or newspapers to be able to disseminate the information, hence the anxiety persists. So that is a new challenge for us,” he said.
In the meantime, President Aquino stressed that food packs, water purification facilities and other relief goods are on the way or have arrived in Tacloban City.
President Aquino also reiterated the government’s priority is to take care of the survivors and those who are injured.
He also said the local government units have designated areas for mass burials as the remains of the fatalities may pose a public health hazard.President Aquino likewise said that members of the international community had signified their intention to help.
“All the help that will come in will undoubtedly ease the burden of our people,” he said. PND (jl)
President Beningo S. Aquino III said the government is doing its best to save human lives and help the victims recover from the tragedy following the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
In an interview aired over CNN in Tacloban City, the Chief Executive said on Sunday that he issued several directives to various government agencies to help the typhoon victims.
The President said saving the lives of people and helping the victims recover from the tragedy remain the top priority of his government.
“We are now actually tasking the Armed Forces of the Philippines and also the Department of Social Welfare and Development to retrieve all the bodies. I think the local government units have already designated areas for mass burials because they pose a health—public health hazard; identification for all of them…. The numbers are really alarming but still subject to verification,” the Chief Executive said.
The President emphasized the necessity to build bunkhouses to accommodate the 45,000 displaced families. “Where can we house them temporarily while we’re building?” We’ll be building what we call bunkhouses to house about 45,000 families, so they will be sheltered from all the elements,” he said.
He also ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways and local engineers to immediately repair the damaged roads and bridges so that the basic goods could reach the victims, particularly food, water, medicines and clothing.
“But the priority now has to be food, restoration of water, and power and communications. That’s why we’ve been tasking our Department of the Interior and Local Government to go and talk to each individual local executive and to get whatever data they possess with the end in view of determining which communities we lack information on, are isolated, so that we can send the necessary response,” the President said.
“The police are reporting about 10 percent of their established plantilla actually stuck to their posts. So we have augmented our security forces to—about 300, and other functions of government will be provided by the various departments,” he added.
The President continues to assess the extent of the damages as well as oversee the ongoing relief and reconstruction efforts.
“I was told today for instance that there were 20 landslides and normally, landslides are really devastating …. There are no reports of any casualties from these 20 landslides,” he said. PND (js)
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