MANILA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a state of calamity in several regions to speed up relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Rai that ravaged central and southern Philippine last week.
In a taped public address aired late Tuesday, Duterte placed Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga regions under the state of calamity