The Office of Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez turned over relief assistance for families affected by Typhoon Tino at the Don Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña Arts and Cultural Center Nov. 8.
The assistance includes 30 sacks of rice, 10 boxes of sardines, five boxes of corned beef, and 20 boxes of noodles, which were formally handed over by the congressman’s staff to personnel of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
The donation will augment the city’s ongoing relief operations for Victoriasanons affected by the recent typhoon, ensuring continued support for families whose livelihoods and homes were impacted.
The city government thanked Benitez for the continued assistance and solidarity with Victorias City in times of calamity.
In the meeting of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team of Victorias, led by Mayor Abelardo Bantug III Nov. 7, City Social Welfare and Development officer Joy Reunir reported that Tino destroyed 174 houses affecting 618 individuals, and damaged 4,182 others, affecting 16,881 individuals across 23 barangays of Victorias.
Families with destroyed houses were provided with family food packs, totaling 524, to help augment their daily necessities while recovery efforts continue, the city said in a press release.
Schools Division superintendent Portia Mallorca said 23 classrooms were damaged, four of which destroyed, along with 37 school facilities, such as offices, laboratories, canteens, and walkways, of which eight sustained total damage.
City Engineer Mary Jean Majaducon reported that 16 buildings and structures sustained damage due to “Tino”, including the Victorias City Coliseum, City Hotel, Victorias City Command and Evacuation Command Center, Gawahon Eco-Park Hotel, Super Health Center, City Hall Building, the Welcome Arch, and the Victorias Commercial Center.
The damage mostly involved roofing, ceilings, fascia boards, glass panels, lighting fixtures, electrical lines, signage, towers, cladding, and broken or leaning street light posts in various barangays.
City Agriculturist Samson Garzon Jr., meanwhile, said that 88 rice farmers were affected, with total land area of 41.71 hectares; while around 4,500 banana trees were toppled by strong winds, affecting 55 farmers.
Twelve boats were also destroyed and 21 others damaged, the city said, adding that per report of BPLO officer-in-charge Flossie Galia, 10 business establishments sustained property and structural damage, also due to Tino.
The consolidated reports will serve as basis for the city government’s post-typhoon recovery and rehabilitation plan, with focus on providing assistance to affected families and restoring damaged facilities in the coming days. ||
