MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Saturday presided over a “full council meeting” of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) amid the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, expressing assurance that government agencies have stepped up efforts to help victims hit by the storm.

During the meeting, Marcos directed government agencies to prioritize sending safe drinking water and follow-up with purifying systems to families hit by the storm.

“Dapat unahin natin when it comes to restoring power, mga ospital, mga evacuation centers,” the President said, as he called on national government agencies to assist the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in its relief and rescue operations on the recent flooding in Maguindanao.

During the meeting, Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge and NDRRMC chair, Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., clarified that the number of deaths validated and attributed to” Paeng” is now at 45.

This initial figure was validated Saturday morning by checking through the barangays and municipalities, according to the NDRRMC chair.

Faustino said more of the 40 deaths in the region could be attributed to landslides, while the five deaths in Soccsksargen and Western Visayas regions are all due to flooding.

Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) made landfall over Buenavista, Quezon, at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning and caused flooding and huge waves in various areas. (PND)