Over the first 100 days of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. in office, his administration had already faced one massive earthquake and five tropical cyclones.
Nonetheless, Marcos did not falter and showed that his administration was prepared for crises.
Here are the list of disasters and the corresponding response of the Marcos administration:
Luzon Earthquake
Almost a month after Marcos began his presidency, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake jolted Northern Luzon on July 27. Tayum, Abra was the most hard hit among the Luzon provinces affected.
The Luzon quake was the strongest earthquake recorded this year. It caused immense damage to many historical heritages, cathedrals, and other structures in Luzon-hit areas.
One notable historical site that collapsed was the centuries-old Bantay Bell tower in Vigan, while Santa Catalina de Alejandria or also known as the Tayum Church sustained major damages.
According to reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), infrastructure damages cost amounted to Php 1.8 billion worth. A total of 615 injured and 6 fatalities were recorded.
A day after the powerful quake, Marcos flew to Abra to personally visit the quake-hit areas and check on the victims. He also inspected the extent of the infrastructure damage and monitored the rescue and relief operations.
Marcos then held a situation briefing with government top officials and ordered them to ensure the dispatch of food, water, and other assistance to affected individuals.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo earlier shared that they already preposition the food packs and non-food items from the start, in accordance with the initial orders from Marcos.
The President also instructed the Philippine Air Force to use airlifts during rescue operations in isolated areas affected by the earthquake.
He also ordered for immediate water, power, and communication lines restorations.
Severe tropical storm Florita
The following month, a tropical storm named Florita intensified into a severe tropical storm on August 22.
Marcos immediately suspended government work and classes at all levels in public schools in some parts of Luzon for two days.
He later then convened a cabinet meeting and directed government agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the DSWD to closely monitor the situation and report to him the identified evacuation centers.
The severe TS Florita battered Cagayan, Ilocos, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), leaving Php 571 million worth of damages and Php 47.38 million in agriculture damages.
Super typhoon Karding
Karding was the recent super typhoon that hit the country. It is one of the intensive typhoons that left Php 300 million in infrastructure damage and Php 3.12 billion in agriculture damage.
The typhoon Karding onslaught displaced 314,430 families or 1,139,172 individuals in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and the National Capital Region.
The casualty stands at 12 dead and five missings. Five of the 12 recorded deaths were the fallen five rescuers from Bulacan.
A day after Karding hit, Marcos presided over a situation briefing with top government officials at the NDRRMC office in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
He ordered the immediate airlifting of food packs and supplies to thousands of evacuees in the Karding-struck areas, particularly on Polilo Island where Karding first landed.
Likewise, he directed government officials to provide emergency power supplies to Aurora and Nueva Ecija, two provinces that experienced electricity outages during the Karding onslaught.
The chief executive then conducted an aerial inspection to personally oversee the situation in the provinces of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Tarlac.
