Emergency Decree in Wake of Devastating Typhoon Kalmaegi

The Philippine archipelago was reeling on Thursday after Typhoon Kalmaegi, considered the deadliest natural disaster of the year, swept through central provinces. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr swiftly declared a state of emergency to tackle the aftermath of the storm, which left more than 241 people dead or missing.

Kalmaegi's destructive path resulted in 114 confirmed deaths, primarily due to drowning in flash floods, with 127 individuals reported missing. The central province of Cebu was among the hardest hit as the tropical cyclone moved into the South China Sea on Wednesday.

The emergency declaration by President Marcos will facilitate quicker disbursement of emergency funds and help prevent essential food hoarding and price gouging amid the crisis, which displaced over 560,000 villagers, including nearly 450,000 in shelters.