Province asks LGUs to provide relocation

CEBU, Philippines -  The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office is urging mayors in southern Cebu to provide relocation sites to families displaced by Tropical Depression Queenie.

Baltazar Tribunalo Jr., PDRRMO head, said it is the duty of the local government units to look after the safety of families living in high risk areas like rivers and seashores.

Tribunalo also heads the Task Force Paglig-on, a team that monitors the rehabilitation effort in northern Cebu in communities ravaged by super typhoon Yolanda last year.

For the recent calamity, the provincial government will shell out funds for the construction of houses. According to Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas, Capitol still has P77-million left in its budget for calamity. Of this amount, P30 million is intended for disaster response.

“Mangita pod ta og funding. Although we have initial fund, part is for Yolanda, but gamay ra… Gi-challenge nako ang mga mayor to provide relocation sites labi na didto sa Poblacion 1 and Sto. Niño (Malabuyoc), ug other areas,” Tribunalo told The Freeman.

Three houses were washed out in Barangay Poblacion 1, Malabuyoc after the Saliring River overflowed last Thursday. One of the houses belonged to Alona Baldado, 50, who died after she was trapped inside the house. Her seven-year-old son Jason Baldado survived by climbing up a coconut tree.

Three towns have declared a state of calamity – Dalaguete, Malabuyoc and Boljoon – but the Provincial Board has yet to place the affected LGUs under the same declaration so that it can use its calamity funds.

 Boljoon Mayor Merlou Derama said the Council placed the town under state of calamity on Thursday afternoon and affected families are still in need of water since the town’s water system was damaged.

 Last week, Queenie brought damages and massive flood to areas in the south, which are the towns of Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Alegria, Moalboal, Badian, Dumanjug, Malabuyoc and Ronda.

In a statement, Valenzuela City Representative Sherwin Gatchalian condoled with the affected families.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council identified those killed as Cesar dela Cerna of Lilo-an and Alona Baldado of Malabuyoc.

 “We would like to condole with the families of the two fatalities brought about by tropical depression Queenie. At the same time, we pray that the nine persons still missing are safe and will be located soonest by government authorities,” Gatchalian said.

 According to reports gathered by NDRRMC, the nine people missing in Central Visayas were swept by big waves spawned by Queenie. One of them was identified as Feliciano Looc of Oslob, Cebu.

 The others were Adrian Sagrado of Ubay, Bohol who was swept by big waves in Jagna Port; Robinson Cebellos of Jagna, Bohol; Sunny Boy Deguitos of Ayungon, Negros Oriental; Honeylyn Andales and Jay-An Andales of Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

A total of 1,617 families or 7,528 persons were affected by Queenie. Of these, some 1,274 families or 6,164 persons were brought to 31 evacuation centers.

Gatchalian lauded the Department of Social Welfare and Development for its quick response to the recent calamity. DSWD prepositioned around P30 million in food packs for distribution to provinces hit by Queenie.

 In a statement, the agency said 116,815 family food packs worth P30.7 million are ready for distribution, while another P7 million in standby funds have been prepared for the purchase of emergency relief supplies. (FREEMAN)