ILOILO CITY – Provinces across Western Visayas and Negros Occidental are set to receive substantial financial assistance from the national government following the devastation brought by Typhoon Tino, with allocations ranging from P40 million to P50 million each, according to the Presidential Communications Office and RTVM.
Under the released allocation plan, Iloilo, Capiz, and Negros Occidental will each receive P50 million in calamity assistance. Meanwhile, Aklan and Antique will each get P40 million, while Guimaras will receive P20 million.
The funds will support ongoing relief operations, rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure, and recovery programs for affected communities, particularly in low-lying and coastal municipalities that sustained heavy flooding and crop losses during the typhoon.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other concerned agencies to expedite the release of financial and logistical aid to all affected local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao. The assistance covers immediate food and shelter relief, restoration of utilities, and agricultural rehabilitation.
Western Visayas was among the hardest-hit regions by Typhoon Tino, which brought record rainfall, widespread flooding, and landslides that displaced thousands of families and disrupted major road networks. Provincial governments in Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique have declared a state of calamity to fast-track the use of disaster funds and access national assistance.
The Presidential Broadcast Service (RTVM) said the total allocation forms part of the government’s P5-billion recovery fund, ensuring swift assistance to areas most affected by Tino’s impact.
President Marcos yesterday placed the entire country under a state of national calamity.
The declaration — based on the recommendation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) — is meant to accelerate the release of calamity funds, facilitate relief operations, and impose price freezes on essential goods in affected regions.
The government is also bracing for the possible onslaught of another powerful storm, Typhoon “Uwan.”
“Because of the scope of, shall we say, problem areas that have been hit by Tino and will be hit by (Typhoon) Uwan, there’s a proposal by the NDRRMC which I approve — that we will declare a national calamity,” Marcos said.
He noted that nearly “10 to 12 regions” were either devastated by Tino or are projected to be affected by Uwan, emphasizing the need for nationwide coordination and preemptive action.
The President said government agencies, the Armed Forces, and the Philippine National Police are sustaining rescue and recovery operations, while efforts continue to restore power lines, reopen blocked roads, and clear debris in hard-hit areas./PN
