Ilonggos remember the 'Great Flood'

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – It has been a year since the so-called “Great Flood” caused by typhoon “Frank,” and Ilonggos marked it yesterday with Sen. Richard Gordon stressing the importance of disaster preparedness.

The city government held a simple program at the Jaro covered gymnasium, where a year ago, hundreds of people whose houses where swept away by the flash flood, took shelter.

Guests were Gordon, chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez.

City tourism and development officer Ben Jimena gave updates on the continuing relief operations for the typhoon victims, particularly the construction of low-cost housing units for those living in the city’s flood-prone areas.

At the Pavia National High School, 18 US Navy sailors joined hands with their Filipino counterparts in renovating portions of the school damaged by the “Great Flood.”

DyOK Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo, a local station of the Manila Broadcasting Co., organized a tree-planting activity, while dyFM Bombo Radyo-Iloilo held an exhibit of pictures of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, local leaders expressed hope that the Senate would finally approve the Paglaum Fund.

Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Raul Banias said the bill has been pending before the Senate committee on ways and means.

Under the bill, the government would allocate P8 billion for the rehabilitation of Western Visayas.

Seventy-eight people were killed and 136 were reported missing when Frank pummeled Panay Island.

The provinces of Iloilo, Aklan and Antique were the hardest hit, with tens of thousands losing their homes to the floods.