City allots P16M budget for various calamities

The city council has approved a P16-million obligated budget from its calamity fund that covers the expenses of its response and rehabilitation efforts on barangays that were severely affected by calamities this year, like the dengue outbreak and heavy rains, since January.

The city had appropriated P379,461 to respond to the fire that struck sitio Santa Cruz, barangay Luz, last November 28, that  affected 51 families.  The victims had to be provided with food and material assistance in the form of packed meals, rice, canned goods, assorted housewares and housing materials.

The city also appropriated P91,446 for barangays Sambag 1, Sambag 2, Capitol Site, Kamputhaw, Calamba, Sapangdaku, Guadalupe, Kalunasan and Pahina Central that were affected by flashfloods, landslide, creek overflow and damaged riprap due to heavy rains that occurred last September 12.

Around 2,672 individuals were affected.

This year, the city council declared the city under the state of calamity due to the onslaught of dengue.  Because of this, P5 million was initially appropriated to cover the purchase of equipment, supplies and related items intended for disaster operation in order to counter the dengue cases, as well as to extend immediate assistance to patients affected by dengue

Among those purchases by the city include laboratory reagents, fluids and medical equipment and supplies for the Cebu City Medical Center.  The city also purchased print materials for their information campaign, as well as motorcycles and communication equipment for disaster operations and sewage pumps and assorted hardware supplies for cleanup operations.

After the P5 million appropriation was exhausted, the city appropriated another P194,000 for food assistance for barangays Kinasang-an, Labangon, Calamba, Cogon Pardo, Apas, Guadalupe and Talamban.

City records reveal that since January this year, there have been 1,566 dengue cases in the city with barangay Labangon having the highest number at 97 cases, this was followed by barangay Lahug with 93 cases and barangay Pardo with 65.  This data is 110 percent higher compared to the recorded number of dengue cases last year.

The city also noted that the number of cases have reached the outbreak level starting August 2007 and has stayed on until October.

Last September 24, the city has declared an outbreak of the dengue fever in barangays Pardo, Labangon and Bulacao.  Four days later, with 25 deaths recorded, the city council declared the whole city under a state of calamity.

Meanwhile, P5.8 million was appropriated for rehabilitation and construction efforts in the city’s mountain barangays that were affected by heavy rains that occurred in the early part of January. Another P4.9 million was also appropriated for the rent of equipment for rehabilitation works of damaged road infrastructures in the mountain barangays. — Joeberth M. Ocao/BRP