Duterte leads briefing on effects of ‘Rosita’

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte listens to the updates on the government’s disaster response operations following the onslaught of Typhoon Rosita in Region 2 and in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR ) during a situation briefing at the Hotel Andrea in Cauayan City, Isabela on November 1, 2018. ARCEL VALDERRAMA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte spearheaded the situation briefing on the effects of Typhoon Rosita, in Cauayan City, Isabela on Thursday.

The situation briefing was attended by disaster, local and national government officials, led by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar reported on damaged infrastructures, particularly roads and bridges, including those in areas affected by landslides in the Cordillera region.

Villar said “Rosita” wrought PHP1-billion worth of damages on infrastructure.

Interior and Local Government Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III also attended the meeting.

Before attending the briefing, Duterte conducted an aerial survey of areas heavily damaged by the typhoon, particularly the landslides in Mountain Province and Benguet.

“From the looks of it — sa taas kami (from the top), the damage was really very extensive, especially (the) road network. And there’s a lot to do there, plus the missing persons, which are worrying us now,” the President said.

Duterte, however, said he was satisfied with how local and national government officials did their duties during the onslaught of “Rosita”.

“I am satisfied with the response of government, everybody’s here. And I think that everyone is doing his duty. I’d like to thank you for that,” he said.

“The mitigating measures that were taken by all is impressive.

And I’d like to thank you. So I did not waste my time coming here,” he added.

He instructed officials to return the situation to “normalcy as soon as possible.”

“I think that we have reached the standard of response needed for this particular incident. I said the most important thing really is to return normalcy.

And that would mean really the clearing of the roads,” he said.

Duterte directed Bello to find something productive for people displaced by the typhoon.

Bello said the affected people will be given emergency employment.

According to NDRRMC, “Rosita” displaced 30,734 families and left 14 people dead, many of whom were victims of landslides, particularly the massive landslide in Barangay Banawel, Natonin in Mountain Province.