Marcos wants ‘semi-permanent’ disaster response

[Updated July 24, 2025, 2:17 p.m.]

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he wants certain disaster response arrangements to be made “semi-permanent” in light of the recurring impact of typhoons caused by climate change.

He made the remark after noting that recent typhoons and other weather disturbances, which have brought catastrophic damage to the country, are no longer “unusual,” as they now reflect the prevailing state of the climate.

READ: Emong intensifies into a typhoon

“Let’s change our mindset — this is not unusual, this is not an emergency. This is now the reality of our times,” Marcos told reporters after presiding over a meeting at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) headquarters in Quezon City.

“So let’s stop thinking in terms of what if a typhoon comes. Let’s not think that way anymore. When we were growing up, the typhoon season was very clear, and it was also clear where flooding would occur. But now, that’s no longer the case—everything has changed,” he added.



Marcos said even though the government has existing standard operating procedures for evacuation centers, health facilities, and other sites used during the rainy season, authorities must begin considering making those measures semi-permanent.

“We have to make those arrangements almost semi-permanent because this is going to happen. As I told them today, this will happen this year, it will happen next year, it will happen the year after that,” he said.

Marcos also raised concerns about the effects of continued class suspension on students.

“What will happen to our youth? They're at a disadvantage. They are already at a big disadvantage if they are forced not to go to school. So we're finding alternative ways, teaching modes for our children, for our students,” he said in Filipino.

Furthermore, the President feared that the health of evacuees could be compromised with prolonged stays in evacuation centers.

“If even just one person gets sick there, it will spread very quickly. And so we are making sure that every evacuation center has a medical team composed of national government doctors and nurses, as well as local government nurses and doctors,” he said.

READ: Marcos visits Rizal to check on evacuees after flooding

Before the NDRRMC meeting, Marcos visited San Mateo, Rizal, to check on evacuees affected by days of heavy rain and flooding.

He witnessed the distribution of water filtration kits and family food packs to over 1,000 families temporarily sheltering at Maly Elementary School and Sta. Ana Covered Court.

Severe Tropical Storm Emong has intensified into a typhoon, according to the latest advisory from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

It was upgraded to typhoon category at 8 a.m., with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 150 kph.

The typhoon was last located 220 kilometers west of Dagupan City, slowly moving south-southeastward.

Meanwhile, 12 people have died due to recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon, or habagat, according to the NDRRMC. /mcm /mr

(2025/07/24-12:31)

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