Marcos orders agencies to intensify flood relief ops

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., currently in Washington, D.C., has ordered the immediate mobilization of all relevant government agencies to intensify rescue, relief, and flood control operations as monsoon rains and successive weather systems continue to affect many areas.

In a virtual press briefing on Thursday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Marcos convened a situation briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Camp Crame, Quezon City, directing agencies to deploy search, rescue, and retrieval teams from various services including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fire Protection.

Marcos also tasked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with ensuring prompt distribution of family food packs and other forms of relief before, during, and after severe weather events, while directing road clearing operations to restore access to major thoroughfares.

The President further directed agencies to sustain flood control efforts by operating all pumping stations and floodgates at full capacity and clearing clogged waterways, and ordered the updating of flood control and drainage masterplans for Metro Manila, 18 major river basins, and other vulnerable areas.

To maintain price stability in affected areas, Marcos instructed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to ramp up supply monitoring and prevent price manipulation, especially in provinces under a state of calamity.