FLAGS will be flown at half-mast at official buildings and installations in the Philippines on November 4, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced a Day of National Mourning for the victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, which has claimed 150 lives.
More than seven million individuals have been impacted by the storm, with many forced to flee flooding that some local governments described as unprecedented in their districts.
Proclamation No. 728, issued for Marcos Jr. by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, proclaimed the national day of mourning “in solidarity with the bereaved families and loved ones of those who perished due to the devastation” caused by Kristine.
“The entire nation is requested to offer prayers for the eternal repose of the souls of the victims,” the proclamation states.
The extensive flooding caused by Kristine has spurred a reconsideration of flood control projects and the government’s disaster risk management initiatives.
Kristine struck the Philippines, forcing it to launch rescue and relief efforts in reaction to Super Typhoon Leon, which entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility shortly afterward.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council announced Saturday morning that 168,039 people needed to be evacuated in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and CARAGA.
Of 809, 745 persons displaced by the storms, 1,351 were sheltering in evacuation facilities, according to the NDRRMC.