Madridejos placed under state of calamity after Ramon

CEBU, Philippines - The town of Madridejos in Bantayan Island was declared under state of calamity due to the devastation caused by the recent typhoon Ramon on its properties and agricultural commodities.

During the municipal session yesterday, Councilor Emelita Gabito said they have approved the request of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council last week to place the town under a state of calamity.

With the approval, Alob Montano, the municipal human resource personnel and member of the Municipal DRRMC, said the municipal government will be releasing about P1.4 million or 70 percent of the P2 million budget for calamity.

Gabito said 1,850 households from all 14 barangays were affected by the flood at the height of typhoon Ramon last Tuesday.

She further said their agricultural commodities were also greatly affected, including their infrastructures, and livestock. The damage to livestocks alone reached to close to P100,000.

Montano said the calamity fund, which will be released by the Municipal Budget Office within 30 days, will be used to purchase basic needs such as food, medicines, and equipment like flashlights, and raincoats, among others.

The rest of the P2 million budget will be used to improve the town’s drainage system, which, Gabito said, has contributed greatly to the flooding.

In the meantime, water pumps were used to pump the water out water from the houses that were ravaged by flood. - (THE FREEMAN)