Waves of aid

• City releases P2.6M, food to victims

THE OFFICE of the City Mayor has distributed a total of P2.6 million to the families affected by the strong waves brought by the southwest monsoon over the weekend.

“The City gave assistance to 522 families with P5,000 each,” City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) Chief Maria Luisa Bermudo said on the sidelines of the regular department executives meeting at the City Hall yesterday.

Other than the financial help, Bermudo said, the city also doled out food items like rice, canned goods, among others.

“Along with the Disaster Office, we continue to monitor the situation on the ground. We still note how many are partially damaged or totally damaged to provide assistance to them as immediate as we can,” Bermudo said.

She added that the mobile kitchen that provides hot porridge to the evacuees

has been deployed.

Bermudo also said the barangay officials should provide restrooms to the evacuees housed in the village halls or gymnasiums “as part of their response.”

Meanwhile, she said she cannot yet determine on the possibility of a state of calamity.

“The monitoring is still on-going. The city disaster council will be the one to recommend it that through the resolutions of our barangay disaster councils,” Bermudo said.

Donations, through the local government, are welcome.

“Any donations to the families will be duly acknowledged and recognized,” Bermudo said.

Bermudo said the CSSDO continues to monitor the affected families.

“We continue the monitoring for those who have not yet been assisted,” Bermudo said.

Based on the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office’s record as of Sunday, there have been a total of 1,098 individuals affected by the monsoon waves.

Nine coastal communities were involved including Barangay Bago Aplaya in Talomo District; Barangays 21–C, 22–C, and 23-C in Poblacion District; Barangays Bucana (76-A), Matina Aplaya (75-A), and Bago Aplaya in Talomo District; Barangays LapuLapu and Gov. Vicente Duterte in Agdao District, and Barangay Daliao in Toril District.

The last time that monsoon waves hit the city with such damages was noted in 2005.

“In the previous years, we experienced monsoon waves but the damage was not like this year. As I remember, it was still in 2005 when we experienced this kind of rage of waves,” said Virgie Palado, a resident of Brgy. 21-C, Poblacion District.

CHILDREN are having fun with the big waves that hit the coastal area of Isla Verde, Barangay 23-C, Poblacion District where several houses were destroyed on Saturday. BING GONZALES

BING GONZALES A PORTION of the seawall at the Sta Ana Wharf is destroyed following the huge waves that hit the coastal areas of the city since Saturday.