FORMER senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday pledged to double down on relief efforts and continue sending aid to people affected and displaced by Typhoon Odette.
“My supporters will continue scouring the remote areas in the provinces that were badly hit by the typhoon to bring the necessary assistance. We will not stop helping them until such time that they will be back on their feet,” Marcos said.
In an interview on DZRH on Friday, the presidential aspirant had promised to visit the victims in other provinces, “as the reports of the extent of the devastation in their areas came in late because of poor communications.”
“Hindi pa maaring pumunta sa malalayo. Kailan lang lumabas ang balita sa Palawan, medyo mabigat ang tama kaya’t nagpadala na kami ng barko na may dala na mga relief goods para sa mga biktima ni Odette at sasalubungin namin dahil hindi pa yata pwede lumipad ngayon. [It’s not yet possible to reach some areas. We just got the reports on Palawan. It was badly hit so we sent a boatload of relief good for Odette’s victims. I think it’s not yet possible to go by air now],” Marcos said.
Besides the problem of food, electricity, and other basic necessities, water has been a critical problem, he noted.
“That’s why we sent almost 30 tons of water to various areas and a filtration kit. We are worried about a cholera outbreak, the bacteria, because of dirty water,” he added, speaking partly in Filipino.
“From the lessons from Yolanda, water is the first thing. After sending food, water is a must and then construction materials. We must help those with destroyed homes to repair or rebuild,” Marcos said.
He added that after restoring relative normalcy to victims’ lives, he said he will focus on helping them rebuild their homes.
As with past challenges that the country faced, “we will persevere and come out of this stronger than ever,” he promised in a statement.
“It is my fervent wish this Christmas season that we continue to pray for good health and prosperity, and that God may give us the courage to stand as a united nation, because it is only through unity that we can get back on our feet as we move forward to a brighter future,” Marcos said.