Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 3) – The government is working on granting more housing units and titles to Tacloban City residents who were affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.
“We have engaged the Department of Human Settlements and Human Development and the National Housing Authority to accelerate the provision of housing units and land titles to our beneficiaries,” Marcos said during the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded.
Yolanda made landfall in Eastern Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013, unleashing gusts of 360 kilometers per hour, destroying hundreds of homes, and leaving more than 6,000 people dead.
Marcos also thanked organizations, volunteers and governments who helped Tacloban City to recover from the devastating aftermath of Yolanda.
“We owe you a great debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay,” he said.
A 2015 report of the Department of Budget and Management showed that at least ₱73 billion in aid were given through government-to-government transactions. The United States and China were among the countries that provided aid to the Philippines.
Marcos said the devastation caused by Yolanda serves as a lesson on climate change and how to respond to calamities.
Vice President Sara Duterte shared the same sentiment, saying that the disaster teaches Filipinos to take “proactive steps” to prevent catastrophic events from happening again.
“This commemoration serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of disaster risk reduction, climate change mitigation, and disaster preparedness,” she added.
