THE provincial board of Misamis Occidental placed the province under a state of calamity by afternoon of Wednesday, to allow the local government to spend five percent of its budget for relief and other operational expenses in connection with the flood that washed away small houses in the coastal areas and damage crops and vegetations.
In an interview over dxDD-AM, Board Member Henry Oaminal, Environment and natural resources committee chairman said that after an emergency meeting called by governor Loreto Leo Ocampos with the members of the Provincial Disaster and Coordinating Council (PDCC) the body decided to placethe province under state of calamity.
Aside from approving the resolution declaring the entire province under the state of calamity, province also approved P5M as calamity fund.
“Mi-appropriate ang atong probinsiya og P5 M, although initially P2 M ra ang gi-request ni governor Ocampos pero ang gipasar ang P5 M to have a standby fund in the event in any furthercalamity,” Oaminal added.
As of the press time, the PDCC has not yet submitted the assessment of the damages on agriculture, fisheries and infrastructure.
In his own personal assessment, Oaminal estimates between P5 to P10 M infrastructures, houses, livestock and crops destroyed by the rampaging floodwaters.
Speaking over the radio, governor Ocampos said the floods submerged the urban areas of Ozamiz and Oroquieta cities as well as the flood-prone towns of Panaon, Aloran, Jimenez, Tudela, Sinacaban and Clarin.
The flooding in Oroquieta City, he said, was made worse by the overflowing of Layawan river. The Labor river that snakes through Ozamiz City and Clarin town also overflowed.
In some 10 urban villages of Ozamiz, Ocampos said, floodwaters reached waist-deep, school yards submerged in water, prompting the suspension of classes in the affected areas.
The governor said the onrush of flood waters also damaged several fish pens at the aquaculture farm of the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park in Sinacaban town.
"No casualties have been reported due to the floods," Ocampos concluded.
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