The Negros Occidental provincial government is prioritizing assistance to Sipalay City and Hinoba-an that were devastated by typhoon “Odette”, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, January 4.
They were among the worst hit but have so far received minimal assistance from the national government, which he said may have been caused by delayed reporting on the extent of their damages.
Diaz pointed out that the communication lines to Sipalay and Hinoba-an were cut off for days after the typhoon and they could not be reached.
They are trying to correct this by providing the national government with updates on the extent of the damage in the two areas, he said.
Kabankalan City sustained a lot of damage but was able to submit its reports right away, which enabled it to get a hefty share of the national government’s assistance, Diaz said.
The provincial government is equitably distributing assistance based on the degree of damage to the local government units, he said.*