MANILA, Philippines — The national government was set to provide over P390 million in aid to the victims of Tropical Storm Enteng, the House of Representatives announced on Tuesday.
In a news release, Speaker Martin Romualdez said that the P390 million in financial assistance for Enteng victims would come from the Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
A total of 39 congressional districts affected by the typhoon would each receive P10 million. This assistance translates to P10,000 per affected family. However, the financial aid will be distributed only to the “most vulnerable residents,” according to the Speaker.
In addition to the P390 million aid, Romualdez and the Tingog Party-list will begin distributing approximately 35,000 food packs, each containing canned goods, noodles, and rice, starting Tuesday. The relief effort, funded by their disaster relief resources, will focus on evacuation centers in Metro Manila and Rizal.
The latest tally from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shows that Tropical Storm Enteng has affected 147,024 individuals as of Tuesday, with 38,058 people evacuated.
The Bicol region was the hardest hit, with 85,856 people affected, while Metro Manila faced significant disruption, with 41,998 individuals impacted.
According to the state weather bureau PAGASA, Tropical Storm Enteng has re-intensified over the waters of West Ilocos Norte, carrying maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 105 km/h.
It also said that the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” will bring moderate to intense rainfall to other areas of Luzon over the next three days. This is despite Tropical Storm Enteng being expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Wednesday morning and head toward southern mainland China over the weekend.
