TOTO LOZANO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed Luzon under a state of calamity after the island suffered billions of pesos in infrastructure and agriculture damage due to recent typhoons.
In a televised address aired on Tuesday, Duterte said he had approved the proposal of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to place Luzon under a state of calamity.
The proclamation was signed and released on Wednesday.
The state-of-calamity declaration will streamline the control of prices of basic goods and commodities in typhoon-hit areas and realign funds for rescue, recovery, relief and rehabilitation efforts.
Duterte directed concerned government agencies to implement and execute necessary work in coordination with local government units and the military.
The state of calamity will remain in place until lifted by Duterte.
“Ulysses,” the latest of the three typhoons to hit the Philippines over the past weeks, has killed 73 as of Tuesday. John Ezekiel J. Hirro