Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered round-the-clock relief and rehabilitation operations in areas ravaged by Super Typhoon Uwan (international name Fung-wong) on Sunday night. In a statement Monday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President directed all government agencies to stay on full alert, focusing on evacuation, medical deployment, and clearing operations.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was tasked to sustain relief distribution and monitor evacuees’ conditions. The DSWD reported that the Bicol Region, which was directly hit by Uwan, recorded the highest number of evacuees, with 100,050 families displaced. In Camarines Sur, 44,000 families were affected, while Quezon Province recorded around 20,000 families under the Calabarzon region. Castro mentioned that floodwaters were slowly receding, allowing some families to return home.
Meanwhile, President Marcos instructed Health Secretary Ted Herbosa to deploy medical teams in all evacuation centers. ‘Siguraduhing mayroong mga medical teams sa lahat ng mga evacuation centers upang mabantayan ang kalusugan ng mga evacuees (Ensure medical teams are present in all evacuation centers to monitor the evacuees’ health),’ Castro said. Uwan was downgraded to typhoon category by 2 a.m. Monday. Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, and the northern and western portions of Masbate, including Burias and Ticao Islands, were still under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as of posting time.
The President also ordered Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon to fast-track the clearing and rehabilitation of damaged roads. ‘Agad na pinasimulan ng Pangulo ang rehabilitation efforts sa mga nasirang kalsada upang hindi maantala ang pagpapadala ng tulong saan mang panig ng bansa (The President immediately ordered road repairs to prevent delays in aid delivery),’ Castro said. Government data show 71 roads remained impassable, mostly in Central Luzon and Cordillera Administrative Region.
According to the Office of Civil Defense, Pangasinan suffered severe flooding that has since subsided. Four deaths were reported, though two were still under validation, while no missing persons have been confirmed. Marcos instructed all agencies to maintain 24-hour weather monitoring and sustain rehabilitation efforts in areas previously affected by tropical cyclones Tino and Uwan. ‘Ang lahat ng ahensya ay inatasang manatiling alerto at magtulungan sa tuloy-tuloy na rehabilitasyon (All agencies were instructed to stay alert and coordinate for continuous rehabilitation),’ the Palace official said.
