State of calamity declared in N. Ecija

ALIAGA, Nueva Ecija, Philippines - – The provincial board has placed the entire province under a state of calamity amid the devastation brought by Typhoon Santi.

Gov. Aurelio Umali said the board, presided over by Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos, made the declaration to enable the provincial government to allocate calamity funds for the affected areas.

Dr. Abraham Pascua, chairman of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the provincial government initially earmarked P44 million from its savings for the affected families. 

Pascua said the PDRRMC initially placed the typhoon damage in the province at P2.7 billion, adding though that they were still validating damage reports from the 27 towns and five cities. At least seven towns still have no electricity, reports said.

In Bulacan, the town of San Miguel was also placed under a state of calamity. Its mayor, Roderick Tiongson, said initial damage was estimated at P200 million.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Tino slightly weakened as it left the Philippine area of responsibility yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

– With Dino Balabo, Helen Flores