By Jefferson Antiporda/Manila Times

Instead of the traditional birthday celebration, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr chose to be with residents of Ilocos Norte affected by typhoon Goni that hit the province last month and to provide assistance.
Marcos led a caravan to distribute relief goods and other forms of assistance to Ilocos Norte residents on Saturday, the eve of his birthday.
Among the areas visited by the senator were barangay (village) San Marcelino in Dingras town, Catangraran in Solsona and Metro Lapaz in Laoag City, which had the most number of affected families in the province.
Marcos told the families that he visited that he decided to let go of the planned party this year and distribute relief goods and offer assistance to families affected by the typhoon instead. Typhoon Goni, packing winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour hit Northern Luzon in late August, triggering floods and landslides that damaged homes and infrastructure.
A total of 46,446 families in 383 barangay of Ilocos Norte were affected by the typhoon.
The agriculture sector suffered damage estimated at over
P92mn.
Marcos was joined by the entire Marcos family, including Ilocos Norte 2nd District representative Imelda Romualdez Marcos, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos-Manotoc and her sons, as well as the senator’s sons, who took part in the relief caravan.
Apart from food items, the relief caravan distributed construction materials and water pumps.
Marcos said they would also distribute rice seeds and other essential items to enable affected residents to restart their lives.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works, the senator vowed that his family would work to restore vital infrastructure such as roads, bridges, irrigation canals and flood control systems damaged by the typhoon.