Degamo orders flood damage assessment

DUMAGUETE CITY – Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has ordered the Provincial Agriculture Office to conduct an assessment of the damage to rice and other agricultural crops and livestock in the southern towns that were badly hit by the weekend flooding.

At a press conference Wednesday at the Capitol, Degamo said Provincial Agriculturist Greg Paltingca is expected to submit a report in the coming days about the extent of the damage to the agriculture sector by the massive flooding that hit parts of Siaton, Sta. Catalina and Basay towns and Bayawan City.

Bayawan City was the hardest hit after one of its biggest rivers, the Banga River, overflowed and inundated most of the low-lying areas of the city Sunday.

The local government units of Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina and Basay have already declared themselves under a state of calamity.

Degamo also inspected various areas affected by the flooding although he disclosed that, so far, Capitol has yet to collate data on the extent of the devastation to agriculture, public and private property and infrastructure.

If warranted, the province might also have to declare a state of calamity and allocate financial assistance to flood victims from its P21million Quick Response Fund (QRF).

The QRF represents 30 percent of the province’s P70-million Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (formerly known as calamity fund) as mandated by Republic Act 10121, according to Adrian Sedillo, director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The P70-million disaster fund represents five percent of the local annual budget of the province amounting to P1.4 billion.

Under the law, 70 percent of the QRF or about P49 million shall be used for disaster and mitigation purposes while the 30 percent or P21 million is allocated for actual calamities.

Following the declaration of a state of calamity by Bayawan City, Sta. Catalina and Basay, the governor may propose to the PDRRMC to extend financial assistance to these LGUs from the P21-million QRF, Sedillo explained.

Degamo further announced that the provincial government was mulling the acquisition of additional rubber boats for search-and-rescue operations in time of disasters.