Families of casualties get cash aid, food packs

CEBU, Philippines —The bereaved families of the two individuals who died during the onslaught of tropical depression Agaton in Malabuyoc town were given burial assistance by the Cebu provincial government.

According to Julius Regner of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRMMO), the families of 63-year-old Flora Basadre and 39-year-old Richie Pimentel were given P10,000 each.

Both families were also given a sack of rice, a box of sardines, and food packs.

Governor Hilario Davide III with PDRRMO Chief Baltazar Tribunalo visited the two families as well.

Basadre died after a landslide damaged her house in Looc, Malabuyoc town.

Although only Basadre’s death was recognized by PDRRMO as Agaton-related, the Capitol had extended help to Pimentel’s family as well.

At present, the PDRRMO continues to consolidate reports from the different local government units in the province.

Yesterday, the office has received reports from 34 LGUs and a report from Mandaue City.

Tribunalo said that his office has formed a team which is in charge of doing the post-Agaton assessment so the provincial government can have a clearer picture of how much damage the recent tropical depression caused.

Until the report is accomplished, the PDRRMO cannot decide whether to suggest or not to the Provincial Board(PB) to declare the Agaton-affected LGUs under a state of calamity.

Back in December last year, the PB declared 10 LGUs in the north under a state of calamity after Urduja and Vinta wreaked havoc.

In November, Boljoon was also put under the same state after a landslide in Barangay Lower Becerril blocked the road to the upper barangays and created two natural dams.

Regner said that the former declaration can be amended to include the towns in the south.

As of yesterday, the initial consolidated report of the PDRRMO tallied that Agaton displaced 618 individuals from Barili, Boljoon, and Toledo City.

“Manageable” flooding was observed in one barangay in Mandaue City, three barangays in Moalboal, three barangays in Toledo City, four barangays in Dumanjug, one barangay in Boljoon, and one barangay in Alegria.

Meanwhile, aside from Malabuyoc, landslide incidents were also reported in Ginatilan, Toledo City and Alegria.

Damage to property due to landslide and strong winds were reported in Alcoy, Malabuyoc, Ginatilan, Dalaguete, and Alegria.

Red alert status is still up to monitor the situation in the affected LGUs. Should a state of calamity be hoisted, the PDRRMO can utilize five percent of the office’s P181 million budget for quick response operations. (FREEMAN)