President directs Cabinet to exert ‘maximum effort’

Tuesday 7th of August 2012

QUEZON CITY, Aug 7 (PIA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III directed his Cabinet members to exert “maximum effort” to ensure uninterrupted delivery of basic services to people affected by heavy rains in Luzon and parts of Visayas.

In a Cabinet meeting held at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Headquarters in Camp Aquinaldo, Quezon City on Tuesday, August 7, President Aquino directed local government units to deploy their barangay captains to conduct a check or roll call in their areas of responsibility to ensure all their constituents are safe.

“Baka sa sobrang daming lugar na apektado, at sabay-sabay, baka may nakakaligtaan,” the President said.

A press statement from the Presidential Communications Operations Office said Aquino was joined by Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas and NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos.

Soliman told President Aquino the Department of Social Welfare and Development has enough funds for extensive relief efforts that it will immediately conduct.

She said P12.994 million has been set aside for relief operations while a stand-by fund totaling P40 million, P35 million of which are goods and P5 million are cash funds, is readily available for consumption.

Almendras, meanwhile, warned of electrical outages in certain portions of Luzon and the Visayas regions after the Department of Energy shut down 34 electrical circuits and may shut down as non-stop rains continue to wreak havoc on the country’s electrical supply chain.

Gazmin informed the President that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed 200 rubber boats, 20 trucks and one troop carrier for rescue operations in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces. (PCOO/PIA Central)