PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte pledged cash and burial assistance to the families of the landslide victims in Benguet at the Provincial Governors Office Conference Hall during his visit to the province on September 17.
The President sympathized with the bereaved families of the landslide victims in Baguio City, Ucab, and Itogon and assured them of P45,000 cash assistance.
Most of the casualties were buried in a massive landslide that hit Barangay Ucab, at the height of Typhoon Ompong over the weekend. Hundreds of miners and their families were reportedly buried alive.
“Ang Diyos lang talaga ang makasagot ng lahat ng tanong na ito. Even if I make an attempt to blame somebody, to blame the weather, or maybe to blame the negligence of others, it won’t really help anymore,” President Duterte said.
The President also assured the families that aside from the assistance that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide them, he will also accommodate all the funeral expenses.
He assured all the families of those who are still missing that the government will continue its search and retrieval operations.
There were a total of 45 families present during the meeting with the President.
During a regional conference after Typhoon Ompong, DSWD-Cordillera director Janet Armas said the central office has provided stockpile of goods and standby fund to aid victims.
Armas said the agency is currently reaching out to victims of landslides especially those needing funeral services in Itogon.
“If they will be transported to the provinces, we are also willing to provide transportation expenses to ensure that the logistics will be provided to the affected families,” Armas added.
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said during the peak of the typhoon, 38 roads were closed due to landslides.
Continuous road openings expected within the week with more road sections to be open as two major roads, Marcos Highway and Naguilian road going to Baguio City remain passable.
During Monday’s briefing at the provincial capitol, Presidential Secretary Spokesperson Harry Roque assured to fund hard-hit areas.
The National Economic and Development Authority Cordillera regional director Milagros Rimando stated as of September 13 a total of P1.18 billion is available for recovery and rehabilitation.