Cordillera starts drafting post-Ompong rehabilitation plan

A COMPREHENSIVE Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) is now being finalized by the Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR), which will be used for the rehabilitation and recovery plan for areas devastated by typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) in mid-Sept. The Regional Development Council, in a statement, said the recovery plan covers infrastructure, social services, settlement, livelihood, and agriculture. Government agencies and local government units had until Oct. 7 to submit damage reports and recovery plan inputs. The consolidated program will be led by OCD-CAR and the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority. As of Sept. 28, OCD reported that the typhoon affected 100,204 families with 390,819 individuals across the region. The death toll reached 114, of which 94 were in Itogon where a major landslide occurred. Around 3,258 families in Itogon are in need of permanent relocation. Damage to agriculture and fisheries, including irrigation, stood at P5.92 billion, while damage to public infrastructure was P3.51 billion. OCD-CAR Regional Director Ruben L. Carandang said evacuation centers are among the most urgent needs. He asked the provincial and municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC) to submit a list of buildings or lots that are potential evacuation sites. He said, “We need to locate where to place the evacuees, not just schools because the education of the children will be affected.” The result of the PDNA and the rehabilitation a plan will be submitted to the national DRRMC for funding.