President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday vowed to continue helping typhoon-hit Filipinos in Ilocos Norte.

“We are here because we wanted to look at the damage. Galing din kami sa Basco (Batanes), malaki (ang pinsala) malakas ‘yung hangin, malakas ‘yung bagyo na nangyari sa Basco. Pero dito mayroon din tayong damage…karamihan dahil sa malaking tubig. And that’s why we are (here to help). ‘Yun ang ating ginagawan ng paraan,” President Marcos said during the distribution of assistance in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

“So, nakadalawang round na tayo, di ba? Hangga’t kailangan, nandito kami. We will continue to give assistance sa lahat ng ating mga kasama,” he said.

As to the province’s flood control system damaged by Typhoon Julian, President Marcos said he instructed Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan to construct a more durable system with a new design.

Two major flood control structures along the Padsan River were damaged by the storm. The proposal is to build a road dike.

“Binigyan ko ng instruction si Sec. Manny Bonoan na ito nga na dike … Hindi na kaya nung design natin ngayon kaya kailangan natin palitan. So, road dike ang iniisip namin,” the President said.

“(I)mbis na slope protection lamang ay lalagyan namin ng kalsada… Kasi ang nangyari dito ‘yung tubig nanggaling sa loob, tinulak ‘yung dike na palabas, palubog sa ilog. Kaya ganoon nasira. Kaya’t babaguhin natin ‘yung design,” he said.

The typhoon affected 32,982 families or 121,143 persons in Ilocos Norte, with one casualty recorded in Batac and one missing in Paoay.

As of October 3, 2024, the DSWD provided PhP10.64 million worth of assistance to affected families.

There are also standby funds worth PhP9 million and stockpile of 245,506 family food packs (FFPs) and non-food items (NFIs) worth PhP421.57 million made available in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). |PND