Muntinlupa declares state of calamity

MANILA, Philippines — Muntinlupa has been placed under a state of calamity due to the effects brought by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng in the city, Mayor Ruffy Biazon announced yesterday.

Biazon said the city council approved the recommendation of the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, placing Muntinlupa under a state of calamity to hasten the release of funds for relief operations, repair and rehabilitation efforts of the local government.

He said they would be able to tap 30 percent of their quick response fund to rehabilitate the city.

“Sa mga panahonag gaya nito, mahalaga ang mabilis na pagkilos para maisaayos at maibalik sa dati ang mga naapektuhan ng nakaraang delubyo,” Biazon said in a Facebook post.

Citing reports from local emergency response offices, Biazon said eight of the nine cities in Muntinlupa were submerged in floods, displacing about 1,200 families or 5,000 people.

Two persons died in the city during the storm.

Biazon called out evacuees who destroyed property at a public high school used as an evacuation center at the height of Paeng’s onslaught.

The mayor expressed anger as he presented photographs of a school, one which showed a destroyed blackboard.

Two more photographs showed piles of trash left on the staircase and a classroom where the chairs were in disarray.

“Galit ako sa mga gumawa nito at sa mga responsable sa pangyayaring ito. Titiyakin kong may mananagot dito,” Biazon said.

He said he felt for the students of the school who will return to classes with destroyed facilities.

“Habang kami sa gobyerno ay naghahanap ng paraan at sinisikap na pagkasyahin ang pondo para sa pagpapaganda at pagpapabuti ng mga eskwelahan, heto at mayroon naman na ganun-ganun na lang na bababuyin at sisirain ang lugar na nagsilbing kanlungan nila sa panahon ng kalamidad,” Biazon said.