MANILA -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed his gratitude to different charitable and financial institutions, as well as individuals for their contributions as the country responded to the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette last month.

“Pati ‘yung mga tao na private individuals and entities who really contributed to fund the rehabilitation or the emergency use of the money to make the load, the burden on the shoulders of the people there out there, more lighter to bear as the day progresses,” President Duterte said during his weekly Talk to the People aired on Wednesday.

“So mayroon man tayong pera. I think that kayo hong nakikinig ngayon, kamong naminaw nga — there’s a lot of Visayan out there sa Siargao naminaw karon, nakikinig kayo, — may pera tayo para itabang sa inyo.”

He particularly thanked the World Bank (WB) for its “charitable spirit” for lending the government money as it addresses the effects of the disaster.

“Maraming salamat sa inyo World Bank at hindi kami matakot maski anong dadaan sa Pilipinas basta ‘yang pera available lang ‘yan para tulong.”

He also recognized the contributions of his Cabinet members, who have provided assistance one way or another, to enable the people to stand again and rebuild their lives.

Also, President Duterte wants government agencies involved in distribution of cash assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Odette to fast track the release of the subsidy to ease the misery of the people and for them to start rebuilding.

“It’s a bit late to be changing the rules now, but there should be next time, I said we are short of time. We are about to make the exit na dapat sana the P4 billion that I got, we still had to go into a ruckus where to get the money and I want it as fast as possible,” President Duterte said.

“Ang utos ko sa kanila was really 48, 72 hours, 48 [hours] or two days or 72 hours, three days. Dapat talaga mayroon, that would be my advice to whoever is listening and sino ‘yung manalo na dapat may pondo ka talaga.”

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) already released the P4.85 billion directly to the local government units (LGUs) last Monday.

The cash distribution is expected to begin Wednesday, January 5, once the LGUs complete the list of beneficiaries, the interior chief said, adding they already conducted orientations on how the money will be handed out.

The government will extend P5,000 for every family, and P1,000 for every individual.

President Duterte said the cash aid is on top of the construction materials that will be given to the typhoon survivors for them to rehabilitate their homes.

The government, he said, will provide roofing materials and lumber to the survivors, as well as the services of carpenters and shelter builders from the government.

Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, the administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), reported that there were 1,242,737 families, or 4.8 million persons in 38 provinces affected by Typhoon Odette.

Some 475,160 displaced individuals are currently sheltering in evacuation centers and with their relatives, said Jalad, who is also the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). (PND)