Sen. Marcos urges PNoy to declare state of calamity in Regions 7, 8

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. has urged President Aquino III to declare a state of calamity in 10 provinces and 10 cities that comprise Regions 7 and 8 ravaged by monster typhoon "Yolanda."

This even as the President declared a state of calamity in Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental. Marcos today filed Senate Resolution 349 "Expressing the Sense of the Senate Amidst the Massive Devastation and Insurmountable Loss Wrought by Super typhoon "Yolanda" in Regions 7 and 8, and urging the President to Declare a State of Calamity in these Critically Battered Areas."

"Regions 7 and 8 suffered immeasurable damage where 90 percent of their areas have been flattened by this monstrous typhoon that left an undetermined extent of destruction to properties, and countless corpses lying along the streets, and the survivors desperately begging for much needed assistance and relief," Marcos said in the resolution.

Region 7, or Central Visayas, is composed of the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor; and the cities of Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue.

On the other hand, Region 8, or Eastern Visayas, is composed of the provinces of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte; and the cities of Ormoc, Baybay, Maasin, Calbayog, Catbalogan, Borongan, and Tacloban.

"The declaration of state of calamity is necessary because it will facilitate easy entry of foreign aid and assistance to the devastated areas. That's why I'm calling the President to declare a state of calamity in the two ruined regions. It's a welcome development that that the President, according to reports, declared a state of calamity in Leyte, Cebu, Samar, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental. This will facilitate the entry of international aid agencies for the much needed help," Marcos said.

Marcos filed the resolution as he launched a massive relief operation in Tacloban City, capital of Leyte, which is one of the areas hardest hit by the super typhoon, with Php2-million worth of relief goods to be distributed to the victims.

He ordered the utilization of some Php.8 million of his funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) that will benefit more than 3,200 families, plus more than a million pesos worth of goods donated to his office by the private sector, which will more than double the total number of beneficiaries.

The senator is personally closely coordinating with both Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez even as he sent his staff to the city.

The relief items to be distributed include food, potable water, boxes of medicines, clothes, and other provisions for basic necessities.

"Kapag maayos na ang magiging sistema kung paano ipamimigay ang relief goods, ipapadala ko agad ang mga ito sa Tacloban para makarating agad ang tulong sa mga sinalanta," Marcos said.

Marcos has expressed gratitude to those who immediately responded to the needs of the victims by sharing whatever they can and to foreign governments and humanitarian missions and organizations which mobilized international aid.

"Again, we have seen the compassion of our people and we should be thankful to them. But this is just the start of our humanitarian work. In the next few days, or weeks, or even months, we will see what actually happened. The tragedy that befell our hapless countrymen has instantly brought us together for one noble cause. Let us not abandon them until they have fully recovered," he said.