President Rodrigo Duterte ordered two government agencies to extend help to people badly hit by Typhoon ''Odette'' in Cebu.

In the municipality of Argao, Cebu, Duterte instructed Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo del Rosario to provide housing assistance to residents whose homes have been damaged.

Duterte also instructed Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to call on the private sector to help and encourage gas stations to open and operate.

At the time of Duterte's visit to Cebu Sunday, electricity has been restored in some parts of Cebu for utilities such as hospitals, among others.

The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, has allocated P445.1 million to help farmers and fisherfolks in the region who were hard hit by the typhoon.

Duterte visited Bohol, which declared a state of calamity on Sunday.

In the municipality of Inabanga, Bohol, Duterte reiterated that a big portion of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council fund was utilized for the government’s COVID-19 response, including quarantine expenses for returning overseas Filipino workers.

Despite this, Duterte committed that the national government will urgently provide for the needs of typhoon-hit areas and their residents, which include rice and water, construction materials for rebuilding of damaged houses, and housing assistance, with topmost priority given to the poor.

He said that with the new budget for 2022, more funds can be utilized for response and recovery efforts. OPS