ILOILO City – More than 10,000 families displaced by typhoon “Ursula” on Christmas Day in Western Visayas could be welcoming the New Year in various evacuation centers.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday a total of 10,227 families or 45,361 individuals were still temporarily staying in these centers, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
They were part of the 200,671 families (894,861 individuals) adversely affected by “Ursula” in the region. The other families returned to their respective houses already to rebuild their lives.
The typhoon’s death toll climbed to 26, according to the RDRRMC – five from Aklan; five from Capiz; and 16 from Iloilo.
Six persons remained missing – one from Aklan, two from Capiz and three from Iloilo.
The typhoon’s devastation prompted the following areas to declare a state of calamity: Capiz and Aklan provinces, Roxas City, and 10 municipalities (Kalibo and Malay in Aklan; Pandan, Caluya and Libertad in Antique; Sigma, Capiz; and Balasan, Batad, Carles, and Concepcion in Iloilo province).
The Iloilo City government vowed to help these areas. Mayor Jerry Treñas instructed City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Donna Magno to coordinate with the local government units concerned.
“After the New Year celebrations,
we will be meeting para mabal-an kon
sin-o hatagan kag kon pila,” said Treñas.
The city mayor was initially thinking of giving
as much as P100,000 to each affected local government unit.
“But the city disaster council will assess. Kun ano gid man ang findings, that will
be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approval,” said Treñas.
Consolidated data in the RDRRMC showed the typhoon damaging a total of 111,673 houses in the region of which 15,948 were total and 95,318 partial.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ongoing assessment of affected families, initially in Balasan, Iloilo and Pontevedra, Capiz.
So far, it had released P1.2 million cash assistance to 222 displaced families in Balasan and Carles.
A total of 218 received P5,000 each
in financial assistance and six received P20,000 each in burial and financial
aid. Two of the six casualties were from Carles.
Also, 1,500 family food packs were also released
to Balasan.
In Pontevedra, Capiz around P1.4 million cash assistance was released to some 272 affected families or at P5,000 for each families.
On the other hand, the damage to agriculture (crops such as rice, etc.) reached P171,854,199.37.
In Capiz, particularly in Panitan, Pontevedra, Pilar and Dao towns, damage to agriculture zoomed to P136,128,843.22.
In Iloilo, the towns of Lemery, Mina, Concepcion, Dingle, and Janiuay suffered agricultural losses, too, amounting to P29,648,068.
In Antique, only the town of Barbaza had so far submitted a report on agricultural losses – P6,058,560.
Cadiz City in Negros Occidental reported P19,728.15 losses in rice production, according to the RDRRMC./PN
