The Talisay City Council passed this afternoon (Jan. 6) a resolution declaring the city under state of calamity following the New Year’s Day flood that affected 4,661 families in 17 barangays.
Geoffrey Gutierrez, head of the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, said the approved resolution will allow the city government to use a portion of its 2021 Calamity Fund to help the flood victims.
Most affected by the flood are those from Barangay Zone 3 along Catabla River.
Barangay Zone 3 is a coastal area and most of its residents are informal settlers living along the water ways, Guiterriez said.
Data from the CDRRMO show that a total of 21 houses located in Barangay 16 along Catabla Creek were completely destroyed while 244 houses were damaged.
With the passage of the state of emergency, the city, through the Social Welfare and Development Office, will determine the amount of financial assistance for the victims.
Even before the New Year’s Day flood, Gutierrez said the city government has already scheduled dredging works in Catabla Creek and other waterways this month.
The presence of informal settlers, the siltation of rivers, and the volume of garbage dumped along the creeks along with the high tide and heavy downpour on New Year’s eve caused the water level to rise in the coastal barangays, he said.
Gutierrez added that the City Engineers Office has started damage assessment to the infrastructure and has been tasked to submit a budget for the dredging program to be implemented this month.
Third District congressman Francisco Benitez is set to meet with the local officials of Talisay to discuss flood control program for the district. — MML
