YEARLONG STATE OF CALAMITY DECLARED IN ZAMBO DEL NORTE DUE TO WIDESRPEAD FLOODING

ILIGAN CITY—The provincial board of Zamboanga del Norte has declared a state of calamity throughout the entire province due to the massive destruction wrought by floods and landslides on its localities two weeks ago.

The calamity occurred due to heavy rains spawned by the trough of a low pressure area, mainly on Jan. 11 and Jan. 12, and wrought some P306.6 million in damage to homes, agricultural production and public infrastructure and other facilities.

According to the Provincial Information Center, the provincial legislature authorized the state of calamity to last up to one year, and may be lifted before that depending on the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

The declaration was recommended by the PDRRMC last week, noting that the province’s two cities of Dipolog and Dapitan and 17 of 25 towns were heavily affected by the bad weather.

Dennis Tenorio, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, said that eight people died and two others were injured from the floods and landslides, and up to 37,174 families or 160,159 individuals were temporarily displaced from their homes.

Prior to the provincial calamity declaration, the four towns of Katipunan, Sibuco, Sirawai and Siocon had been placed under a state of calamity by their respective local legislatures.

A PDRRMC report said the floods and landslides wrought around P32 million in damage to crops, about P10 million in fishery production and P3 million in livestock and poultry. Another P69.5 million worth of infrastructure was also damaged and close to P47 million in houses.

Eastern Visayas, Bicol

The Department of Education (DepEd) also reported around P145 million worth of damages to school infrastructure, facilities and supplies.

Eunice Janolino, disaster risk reduction and management coordinator of DepEd’s Zamboanga del Norte Division, said many classrooms, armchairs, desks, tables, books and other learning materials were destroyed due to the floods that engulfed many school campuses throughout the province.

In Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions, the shear line brought rains across the two regions, prompting some local governments to suspend classes on Friday.

While the low pressure area east of Mindanao has dissipated, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has also warned of possible floods and landslides and floods that could require evacuation of residents in Bicol and Northern Samar in Eastern Visayas.

The weather bureau, in a 4 p.m. bulletin on Saturday, said cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms prevailed over most of Eastern Visayas and Bicol.

Among the local governments that suspended classes on Friday due to heavy rain were Borongan City in Eastern Samar and Barugo town in Leyte, both in Eastern Visayas; and Catanduanes’ capital town of Virac, Sorsogon City and Bato town in Camarines Sur, all in Bicol.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) station in Borongan also directed all fishing boats and small sea crafts not to venture into open seas due to the big waves brought by the inclement weather.

On Thursday, MV Kai Da 899, a fishing vessel from China, drifted along the waters off Suluan Island, Guiuan town in Eastern Samar due to the bad weather.

The PCG’s BRP Cabra towed the Chinese fishing boat which arrived in Tacloban on Friday. At least seven Chinese fishermen from a damaged vessel off Guiuan, Eastern Samar, were rescued.

Eastern Visayas has been experiencing heavy and continuous rains since December and early this month, prompting the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar to place their respective areas under a state of calamity.