NDRRMC chief admits: We're not prepared for 'Yolanda' damage

MANILA, Philippines - A week after Super Typhoon Yolanda lashed the country, the executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) admitted that the government is unprepared for the scale of devastation left by this year's most powerful tropical cyclone.

"We have a concrete system (on typhoon preparedness and response). Ang hindi lang natin napaghandaan ay 'yung ganitong magnitude. Napakalaki," Undersecretary Eduardo del Rosario said in a televised interview with reporters on Thursday.

Compared to previous incidents such as the Zamboanga City standoff, Del Rosario said Yolanda's devastation covers a bigger scope.

"[The Zamboanga standoff] only involves five barangays. We are now talking about regions," Del Rosario said. "Itong tinamaan ni Yolanda ay basically 10 regions."

Del Rosario's reactions came after the government was criticized for allegedly being slow on its relief operations for the thousands affected by Yolanda amid destroyed towns and a death toll - now over 2,000 - that continues to rise.

But Del Rosario said such criticisms are "subjective" and that the government is addressing the gaps in the system.

"The government is doing its best," said Del Rosario, adding that the government is now conducting massive relief goods distribution and operations while utilizing national agencies as local government units have collapsed.

In a phone-patch interview on ANC's Headstart on Thursday, Defense Sec. Voltaire Gazmin said such criticisms against the government's relief operations are "unfair."

"The relief goods came in... Saturday, immediately after the typhoon. You call that slow?" he said.

But amid the accusations, the Philippine government was praised by Valerie Amos, undersecretary general and emergency relief coordinator of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"Ms. Amos has emphasized that she commends the Philippines Government on their relief efforts so far, under extremely challenging circumstances, and hopes the international community will give generously to the humanitarian response," said Martin Nesirky, the United Nations Spokesperson for the Secretary General.

"[I]t is obvious that this is a devastating catastrophe and many people have yet to receive assistance, which they badly need," Nesirky added. "The logistical constraints are quite considerable, but there is a tremendous effort going on both by the Philippines authorities themselves and by the international community to try to get assistance where it is needed."

According to the NDRRMC's update on Thursday, Yolanda has affected a total of 1.7 million families or over eight million people in 520 towns and 54 cities.

More than half a million people have been displaced after over 230,000 houses were damaged.

A total of 2,357 individuals have been reported dead in the wake of the typhoon while 3,853 people are injured and 77 remain missing.