LAOAG CITY: Ilocos Norte was placed under a state of calamity on Monday due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina, which enhanced the southwest monsoon.
In a regular session at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall, members of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Board unanimously approved Resolution No. 2024-07-330 declaring a state of calamity in the province.
‘There is a need to declare a state of calamity for the provincial government to mobilize the use of its 5 percent calamity fund to provide relief to the affected families, as well as to reprogram or realign funds for the repair and rehabilitation of the damaged properties and infrastructure,’ Provincial Board member and chairperson of the committee on natural calamities Dante Franklin Respicio said.
Based on an initial report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), a total of 3,288 families, composed of 10,852 individuals, from the landslide and flood-prone areas of Bangui, Badoc, Bacarra, Pagudpud, Banna, Adams, S
olsona, Piddig, Burgos, and Paoay, and the cities of Batac and Laoag were hit, with 23 houses partially damaged.
As of this posting, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management team has been making rounds in various parts of the province to validate reported damage in infrastructure and agriculture reaching over PHP1 billion.
For this year, Ilocos Norte’s local disaster risk reduction and management fund has a total amount of around PHP109.88 million.
Of the total amount, 70 percent will be used for preparedness, prevention, mitigation, rehabilitation, and recovery, while 30 percent will be utilized for quick response.
Source: Philippines News Agency