Surigao Norte to declare state of calamity

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) has endorsed a resolution requesting the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) to declare the province under state of calamity.

During the urgent meeting which was called and presided by PDRRMC Vice-Chair and Vice Gov. Carlos Egay, Jr. Monday afternoon at the SP Session Hall, the council made the recommendation after days of heavy rains caused damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

Initial reports from PDRRMC revealed that the damage to infrastructures was estimated to have reached about P9.4 million.

As of reporting time, most of the rice fields are still flooded however no report on agriculture damages has been received.

PDRRMC reported that some portions of Surigao City are still flooded due to overflowing of Kinabutan River. Malimono town is impassable due to damage of Jubgan bridge.

Barangay Magtangale in San Francisco is impassable to vehicular traffic due to high flood. It can only be accessed by pedestrian through human chaining.

Poblacion barangays in Tagana-an are also flooded neck-high. The flashfloods affected 1,200
families in the said town.

Provincial Social Welfare Officer Rosemarie Catelo said that the barangays of Azucena, Banban and Himamaug in the said town were severely affected by the floods. The Social Welfare Office figures released showed that only 210 families fled their homes.

Flashfloods also hit the 200 families of barangays Magsaysay and Ipil in the municipality of Placer.

In Surigao City, a total of 47 families or 203 individuals in the barangays of Rizal, San Juan and Washington were evacuated since January 2, 2010.

Official reports gathered from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) revealed that 11 families from barangay Luna were evacuated at the Bernadette Chapel, 113 families from the barangays of Washington and San Juan were sheltered at Kaskag gym, and 9 families were evacuated at Rizal Multi-Purpose gym. Only one person was reportedly missing identified as Roberto Dalangin, 35 years old from Sitio Togonan, Brgy. Mabini. Dalangin was reportedly missing since Sunday morning at Togonan river.

The concerned LGUs promptly distributed relief goods to the affected families, which was immediately augmented by the province.

The province has already dispatched an initial 5 sacks of rice, 1 box of sardines and 2 boxes of noodles to the affected families in the barangays of Ipil and Magsaysay. (FEAbkilan, PIA-Surigao del Norte)

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