KORONADAL CITY—The city council here declared the entire area under the state of calamity anew owing to the impact of the flash floods and landslides on June 24 that affected a number of farming and urban barangays.
Vice Mayor Eliordo Ogena said on Friday that the council passed a resolution placing all 26 barangays in the city under the state of calamity, based on a recommendation issued by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).
He said the measure mainly sustained the calamity declaration they issued in May owing to the effects of the long dry spell or mild El Niño.
“Since the previous declaration remains in effect, we decided to continue it but specific for the effects of last week’s rains,” he said.
Ogena said they issued the declaration to facilitate the use of the city government’s remaining calamity or quick-response funds for the rehabilitation of the affected areas and provision of the necessary assistance to the affected families.
Based on a report submitted by the city government to the South Cotabato Provincial DRRM Office, around P11 million worth of crops and properties were destroyed in parts of the city following the floods and landslides on June 24.
The floods and landslides came after hours of almost nonstop heavy rains in the city and the neighboring localities.
Three major bridges sustained various damages owing to the swelling of the Marbel River at the height of the rains. The center portion of the Namnama Bridge collapsed during the floods, while the approaches of the Concepcion and Santo Niño bridges were damaged.
Ogena said six other bridges along the Buok Creek, which traverses the city proper, also sustained some damages.
As of Friday, City Administrator Cyrus Urbano said the local government has around P9 million left from its calamity funds.
“We will reprogram it for priority interventions related to the recent floods,” the official said.
Urbano, who heads the CDRRM Office, said the city government requested late last week for funding assistance from Malacañang for the rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure in the area.
He said their request was immediately referred to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“The DILG already informed us that it will include our request in its 2016 budget,” Urbano said. PNA