Survivors of Typhoon Odette, which has been deemed as one of the most powerful storms to strike the country in 2021, have so far received P179 million in aid from the government, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.
In President Rodrigo Duterte’s taped address to the nation aired Tuesday, Año said that the distribution of financial assistance has begun.
“The government has released a total of P4.7 billion to LGUs, and the process of disbursing financial aid is well underway,” he reported to the president.
“A total of 121-P179 million was already distributed, and next week, we will report because this Wednesday, regional directors will have a meeting to advise LGUs to expedite the distribution.),” he added.
Duterte, in December last year, said that each family affected by Odette would receive P5,000 to help them reel from the typhoon’s impact.
Duterte has also ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to oversee the cash distribution to survivors.
“On top of implementers, I ask the DILG Secretary Año to just… be there and be present in the distribution and see to it that the money is given to the proper persons, to the typhoon victims. I just—to just oversee the flow of the money to where it should belong,” he said. (©Philippine Daily Inquirer 2021)
