P2 Billion Set Aside to Fund Odette Aid, Palace Says

The government has allotted around P2 billion-worth of funds to assist the victims of Typhoon Odette which battered central and southern Philippines over the weekend and left dozens of people dead, Malacañang said Sunday.

The budget is on top of around P1 billion-worth of relief goods that have been prepositioned in areas along Odette's path, acting presidential spokesperson Karlo Nograles said.

"Hahanapan talaga natin ng paraan ang lahat ng pangangailangan pagdating sa pondo," he told dzBB in an interview. "Ang immediate need natin ngayon ay makapagbigay ng tulong sa mga evacuees natin."

Duterte on Saturday inspected by air some of the areas hit by Odette, considered the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year. He also met with the officials of affected local government units to check on their needs.

At least 75 individuals are feared dead in the aftermath of the typhoon, with the government's disaster risk management council reporting 31 casualties and over 300,000 evacuees.

Nograles said the President has already ordered the immediate restoration of electricity in areas hit by the typhoon and the delivery of satellite phones in localities where communication was cut off.

The President also asked the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard to augment efforts to deliver food and other essential items to typhoon-hit islands, he added.

"Ang utos nga ni Pangulo ay use all government resources to ensure that all goods are delivered as soon as possible especially sa province ng Surigao Del Norte at sa Dinagat Islands," Nograles said.

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