THE NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) has mobilized emergency rice stocks to support families hit by heavy rains brought by recent typhoons and monsoon rains in various parts of the country, the Palace said on Wednesday.
In coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the NFA released 6,600 sacks of rice to Tarlac for immediate disaster relief distribution.
Additional allocations included 200 sacks for the Puerto Princesa City local government and 300 sacks for the provincial government of Palawan.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro, during a virtual briefing, quoted the agency assuring that the rice stocks remain undamaged across NFA warehouses, particularly in Occidental Mindoro and Valenzuela City, where concerns about spoilage had been raised amid adverse weather conditions.
The NFA assured the public that the country has enough rice supplies to last at least 12 days.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., in a press briefing in Washington, DC, said that nearly Around 488,000 families have been affected by heavy rains nationwide, with over 49,600 people taking shelter in 500 evacuation centers. Another 2,790 families are staying outside evacuation sites and are being provided relief by the DSWD.
The extreme northern part of Luzon is being battered by Tropical Storm Dante, while Laoag City in Ilocos Norte is hit by Tropical Storm Emong, as of 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the 4 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on.
The bulletin, published on Facebook, noted that the central and southern parts of Luzon as well as Visayas and Mindanao are also affected by the southwest monsoon.
The new tropical storms came just days after Typhoon Wipha (Crising) hit the country, developing into a severe tropical storm before exiting the Philippine area of responsibility.
The typhoon and monsoon rains have caused widespread flooding in 1,875 areas spanning Metro Manila and regions including Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cordillera Administrative Region, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and BARMM.
Mr. Marcos reported six deaths, five injuries, and eight missing persons, with most casualties caused by fallen trees, drowning, and strong flood currents.
Damage to infrastructure is initially estimated at P4 billion, while agricultural losses stand at P134.7 million, including P113 million in MIMAROPA alone.
The President said government response teams have delivered relief goods and conducted evacuations as needed, though rains have yet to subside in many areas, including Metro Manila. Nine rain-induced landslides and incidents involving collapsed structures have been recorded so far. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
