PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed all government agencies to maintain a state of full alert and execute proactive disaster response measures as Typhoon Maymay and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) approach the country.
During a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro announced that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) activated its highest alert status under the President’s directive.
Local authorities have been instructed to conduct strict preemptive evacuations in high-risk coastal, flood-prone, and landslide-susceptible communities to prevent casualties and minimize storm impact.
To cushion the blow on vulnerable populations, the government has prepared nearly ₱1.8 billion in targeted humanitarian assistance.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian reported that over five million family food packs are stockpiled nationwide, alongside ₱1.6 billion in standby funds ready for rapid deployment.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has already begun distributing relief materials—including food packs, ready-to-eat meals, and hygiene kits—to affected households in Benguet, La Union, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Albay, and Zamboanga City.
Meanwhile, critical flood-control measures are underway in the capital. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes confirmed that rescue personnel and emergency equipment have been prepositioned across all 17 local government units in the National Capital Region.
All 73 regional pumping stations are fully operational, with mobile pumping units on standby and preemptive pumping ongoing to maximize waterway capacities and prevent severe urban flooding.
Malacañang reiterated its call for public vigilance, urging citizens to monitor official weather advisories closely and fully cooperate with local government units, particularly in areas subject to mandatory evacuation orders.
