President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has expressed satisfaction with the Philippines’ preemptive actions ahead of the impact of Super Typhoon Uwan, which has now weakened into a severe tropical storm outside the country’s area of responsibility.
Speaking through Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, the President acknowledged that while calamities cannot always be prevented, the preparedness seen from government agencies had a significant impact. “Yes, opo… the preparations being enforced by agencies, which helped save people from danger, were seen by the President,” Castro said.
According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), preemptive evacuation efforts for some 426,000 families played a key role in reducing casualties.
The President commended local governments, first responders and volunteers, saying: “The preemptive evacuations you carried out made all the difference. Napakalaking bagay ng inyong maagap na pagkilos (Your prompt response was a huge factor).”
Castro added that the government’s preemptive measures, taken under the President’s instructions, enabled more citizens to be rescued from danger.
“Dahil po sa preemptive measures na ginagawa po ng ahensya po natin, sa utos na rin po ni Pangulong Marcos Jr., mas malaki po ang nagiging pagsagip natin sa ating mga kababayan,” she said.
As of Tuesday, the OCD reported the death toll from Uwan has risen to 18.
