MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday ordered some of his Cabinet members to go back to their home provinces in the north and act as front-liners to monitor the situation as Typhoon Ompong hits the country in the next 48 hours. Duterte said this would allow his officials to strategically monitor the impact of the storm and make appropriate emergency responses. “The most accurate way of preposition is for Tugade and Bello from Cagayan to go to their provinces,” Duterte said. While the national government is ready for deployment in affected areas, Jalad said the government will seek international assistance if necessary. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, on the other hand, said about 1.20-million hectares of farm lands will be affected by the typhoon.

Source: Philippine Star September 13, 2018 16:00 UTC