Lorenzana hopes Duterte will approve placing Luzon under state of calamity

November 17, 2020

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed hope that President Rodrigo Duterte will approve the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) placing  Luzon under a state of calamity.

"The beauty of declaring the whole area as calamity area is to allow the local government unit to use their calamity fund because it needs a declaration of state of calamity," said Lorenzana.

"Now those that were not affected they can use their funds to help those who have been devastated, that's the idea. Hopefully the president will approve that," he added.

Lorenzana said with the declaration of the state of calamity the government can implement price control of basic commodities.

"Those that were effected (by the calamity) are from south to north, Cagayan Valley, the Cordillera, Central Luzon and Manila. Region 1 is not too affected," he said.

"The freeze in prices of commodities, if there is state of calamity the vendors cannot increase their prices," he added.

Lorenzana said although he is satisfied with relief operations for the areas hit by the typhoons, he noted the "greatest challenges" being faced by the government responders in affected areas.

"The greatest challenge is the lack of equipment of the Armed Forces. They were deployed all over the country because it's not just the central Philippines that is being hit by the storm and flooding. Those in Visayas also have problems with storm so recently the AFP organized disaster task force which is headed by no less than the chief of staff," he said.

"We will build up its equipment so that they can react immediately and bring everything they need. They have boat, bulldozer, whatever they need to rescue people or to rehabilitate an area so it's still equipment.  We have personnel but equipment sometimes is lacking," he added. Robina Asido/DMS