Marcos visits Cebu after Tino’s onslaught

Local

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returned to Cebu on Friday, Nov. 7, to supervise government relief operations for families affected by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi).

The President first went to Tiltilon Elementary School in Barangay Cotcot, now sheltering 126 families or 509 individuals.

The school suffered extensive damage, with 23 classrooms completely destroyed.

Marcos distributed family food packs, health kits, hygiene kits, and sleeping kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which also served hot meals to evacuees.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said 69,000 family food packs have already been distributed to local government units, including Cebu City, Mandaue, and Talisay, with 200,000 more expected by Saturday.

Two million additional food packs are prepositioned in warehouses nationwide.

Cash assistance is also being provided: 5,000 pesos for partially damaged homes and 10,000 pesos for fully destroyed houses.

“Our supply is more than enough. We have a repacking center in Cebu. Tuloy-tuloy ang pag-repack. May stockpile na pero tuloy-tuloy pa din,” Gatchalian said.

Marcos then visited Talisay Sports Academy, which shelters 276 families or 1,110 individuals, and inspected the nearby Mananga Bridge along the Cebu South Coastal Road, where one lane remains impassable due to flood damage.

The Department of Health-Central Visayas (DOH-7) is conducting rapid health assessments at evacuation centers.

Injured individuals receive free medical consultations and essential medicines, including maintenance drugs, antibiotics, doxycycline for leptospirosis prevention, and anti-tetanus vaccines.

Routine vaccinations for children continue, and the health of pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children is closely monitored.

Assessments are ongoing to ensure safe drinking water.

During a press briefing at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, Marcos highlighted the unexpected severity of the floods.

“Ang sinasabi sa atin, ang pinaghahandaan ng mga LGU officials was a storm surge. Pero ang talagang nangyari, flash flood naman. Iba ‘yung nangyari. At hindi natin napaghandaan dahil iba ‘yung ine-expect natin,” Marcos said.

The President assured that the government would assist the families of the typhoon casualties, help them recover, support them in rebuilding their lives, and do everything possible to make up for the losses they suffered.

“As long as the government, the national government is needed, we will be here. We are not leaving,” he added.

The national government allocated 50 million pesos for Cebu Province and 10 million pesos each for Talisay, Mandaue, and Compostela.

The provincial government is also distributing 2 million pesos each to municipalities including Balamban, Asturias, Toledo, Danao, Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion, Mandaue, Talisay, and Minglanilla.

Typhoon Tino affected at least 141,423 families or 499,360 individuals across Visayas, causing extensive property damage and casualties.(MyTVCebu)