Marcos distributes PHP50M aid in Nueva Vizcaya typhoon recovery

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. distributed PHP50 million worth of government assistance and food packs to communities affected by Super Typhoon Pepito in Nueva Vizcaya during a ceremony on Friday.

Marcos handed over a PHP50 million check from the Office of the President, adding to the P5,000 cash aid given to 500 beneficiaries under the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

In his speech, Marcos assured typhoon victims that the government would continue providing assistance even as more storms arrive, highlighting the availability of resources for relief goods.

The combined effects of cyclones Nika, Ofel, and Pepito affected 8,168 families in Nueva Vizcaya, with Pepito damaging 2,540 houses, including 284 that were totally destroyed, leaving seven people dead and one missing.

Prior to the aid distribution, Marcos conducted an aerial inspection on Nov. 16 to assess damage in Catanduanes and inspected the Bambang Bypass Road in Nueva Vizcaya following Pepito's landfall.

Marcos directed DPWH Secretary Manny Bonoan to prioritize the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure, including the Bambang Bypass Road, and tasked him to ensure that flood control projects are strengthened against future storms.