MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has declared that the Philippines must now accept frequent and severe weather disturbances as the “new normal,” urging the public and government agencies to permanently shift their mindset and planning toward constant disaster readiness.
“This is not an extraordinary situation anymore. Do not think of it as a special situation… this is the new normal,” Marcos said during a high-level situational briefing held Thursday at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“I hate to use the overused phrase but this is the new normal. Ganito na talaga ang buhay natin kahit ano pa ang gawin natin,” he added, emphasizing that Filipinos must adapt to the increasingly erratic and destructive weather patterns that are no longer seasonal but ongoing.
The President said that the country’s strategies must evolve, noting, “We just have to change the way we think. Everything was different from what it was in the last 40 years.”
As successive weather systems continue to inundate wide swaths of the country with monsoon rains and flooding, Marcos ordered a full-scale mobilization of government resources for disaster response and mitigation.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) were instructed to deploy search, rescue, and retrieval teams to flooded areas.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) was directed to ensure the uninterrupted distribution of relief goods, especially family food packs, before, during, and after storms.
Road-clearing operations are now underway with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) tasked to reopen blocked highways and ensure access to affected communities.
To bolster flood control, the President ordered the continuous operation of pumping stations and floodgates and the removal of obstructions in waterways.
On the economic front, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were told to monitor food supply chains and prevent price manipulation in storm-hit areas.
“Binigyang-diin naman ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na sinisiguro na ngayon ng DA at DTI na may sapat na supply ng pagkain at pangunahing bilihin,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
The President’s statements come as the country reels from the cumulative impact of tropical cyclones “Crising”, “Dante”, “Emong”, and intensified southwest monsoon rains that have caused widespread flooding, displacements, and damage to infrastructure and livelihoods./PN
