MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has barred local officials of affected areas from traveling abroad to ensure smooth disaster response in the aftermath of tropical cyclones Tino and Uwan.
In a television interview on Monday, DILG Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said he has ordered all elective and appointive local officials to cancel or suspend their foreign trips from Nov. 9 to 15 to ensure their presence during pre-disaster preparations, response, and recovery operations for Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong).
“Those who are applying or about to leave, their travel leaves are cancelled,” he said.
Prior to that, Remulla said he also canceled the foreign travels of some 40 local officials amid the devastation caused by Typhoon Tino, which prompted President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to declare a national state of calamity.