“Paeng” destroyed 107 houses and damaged 936 in Negros Occidental, including in Silay City as shown above.* Mayor Joedeth Gallego FB page photo
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. placed Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental, under a State of Calamity following the devastation caused by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, in an executive order issued Wednesday, November 2.
The State of Calamity will remain in force and effect for six months unless earlier lifted by the president.
Negros Occidental suffered losses of P257.8 million in crops and livestock, reports submitted to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday showed.
There were also 107 houses destroyed and 936 damaged in Negros Occidental, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Merle Garcia said.
PRICE CONTROL
The president said a State of Calamity will hasten the rescue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation efforts of the government and the private sector.
It will also effectively control the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities, and allow the national government, as well as local governments units (LGUs), ample latitude to utilize appropriate funds for rescue, recovery, relief, and rehabilitation efforts, and for the continuous provision of basic services to the affected populations, he said.
160,840 AFFECTED
Flooding caused by “Paeng” affected 41,156 families or 160,840 individuals in Negros Occidental, Garcia said.
Still in evacuation centers are 328 families with 1,285 individuals, she said.
The affected areas are Silay City, Isabela, Sipalay City, Escalante City, Candoni, Ilog, Sagay City, San Enrique, Cauayan, Manapla, Victorias City, Cadiz City, Toboso, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Murcia, La Castellana, Salvador Benedicto, Himamaylan City, Pontevedra, La Carlota City and Pulupandan.
Areas with destroyed houses are Cauayan – 32, Hinigaran – 27, San Enrique – 16, Salvador Benedicto – 1, Pontevedra -1, Manapla – 1 and Candoni – 1.
Areas with damaged houses are Salvador Benedicto – 141, San Enrique – 84, Hinigaran – 68, Cauayan – 26, Cadiz City – 18, Pulupandan -15, Pontevedra -13, Sipalay City – 11, La Castellana – 3 and Manapla – 2.
Lacson said the majority of the evacuees returned home after the flooding subsided.
He said the President said the Department of Social Welfare and Development will give families with destroyed house P10,000 each and those with damaged houses P5,000 each.
The provincial government will see what the national government will give before deciding if a counterpart amount will be needed, Lacson said.
P257.8M LOSSES
Provincial Agriculturist Edmundo Raul Causing, in an initial report to the governor Wednesday, placed Paeng’s damage to rice at P187.4 million, high value crops – P2.9 million, corn – P1.6 million, fisheries – P14.6 million and irrigation P50 million for a total of P256,807,876 .
OIC Provincial Veterinarian Placeda Lemana, in a final livestock report, said there was a total of P1,081,880 in losses in Murcia, Bago City, Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, La Carlota City, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Cauayan and Hinoba-an.
BACOLOD
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he met with the city’s Task Force Baha Wednesday, to get a complete and updated report on “Paeng, and “we have concluded to continue with our periodic declogging of drainages and massive clearing of our waterways”.
“The necessary budget for fuel will be allotted for our amphibious excavator that is being used in dredging our rivers. We will also closely coordinate with DPWH for alignment of our plans in addressing the flood problems of the city”, he added.
The president also placed Regions IV-A, V and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao under a State of Calamity.*