Tacloban City Convention Center, Tacloban City
November 8, 2023
“Our work is not done, there are still many who continue to await our assistance. We have engaged the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority to accelerate the provision of housing units and land titles to our beneficiaries,” stated President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., rallying various concerned government agencies to address lingering issues of affected communities.
These remarks were made as he led the 10th Yolanda Commemoration Anniversary, where the Chief Executive offered a mass for the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (a.k.a. Tropical Storm Haiyan) and distributed Certificates of Award to nine (9) Pabahay Beneficiaries, representing the 3,000 beneficiaries of the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) Yolanda Permanent Housing Sites, at the Tacloban City Convention Center in Tacloban City on November 8, 2023.
The President also took the opportunity to convey his deepest gratitude to the international community for their outpouring support and humanitarian assistance extended to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda until the full rehabilitation of Tacloban City.
“Indeed, what we saw back then was the spirit of ‘Bayanihan’ in its truest form-moving without prompting, without hindrance and without ceasing. Much to our surprise, we saw that the Filipino Bayanihan spirit coming from our friends from all the lands. So, to all the national and local leaders, then and now, to the private sector, the international and local organizations, volunteers and donors: Please accept our eternal gratitude,” he said.
Moreover, he reiterated his earlier statements to make climate change a vital component of the Administration’s national policies. “We must make sure that we apply our knowledge on climate change to every plan, to every decision and initiative, so we can build stronger and more resilient communities. We assure that the government is always striving to ensure that such tragedies of this magnitude will be avoided and will be adopted to,” he said, citing various programs and initiatives being set in place.
These include building disaster-resilient evacuation centers and emergency operations centers, institutionalizing a centralized and efficient early warning systems, incident command systems and disaster response strategies through the deployment of new technologies, such as GeoRiskPH and PlanSmart, alongside information campaigns. He also called on the Filipino people to partner with the government in bolstering the country’s disaster preparedness, recovery and resiliency to overcome whatever storm the country may face.
“As we mark the 10th Year of Super Typhoon Yolanda, let us also celebrate the unparalleled spirit of the Waray and all Filipinos. Let us take pride in the fact that we triumphed over this calamity through our innate Bayanihan spirit, which inspired people all over the world. Let us envision, let us dream and let us work towards building a better nation, isang Bagong Pilipinas, in honor of those who have passed on and for the benefit of future generations,” the President concluded in his message.
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