Iloilo town appeals for help following Odette’s wrath

The town of San Joaquin in Iloilo province is currently appealing for help following the trail of devastation left by Super Typhoon Odette.

According to Erlyn Alunan, information officer of the municipality of San Joaquin, the local government unit (LGU) is currently preparing to place the entire town under a state of calamity due to the damages caused by “Odette”.

“Ginatinguhaan sang aton LGU nga ang banwa madeklarar under state of calamity para makapagwa man sang ila nga pondo kag matigayon ang mga kinahanglanon nga bulig para sa pumuluyo,” Alunan said in an interview with Radyo Pilipinas Iloilo on Sunday morning.

‘WORSE THAN FRANK, YOLANDA’

The teary-eyed Alunan described “Odette” as one of the most destructive calamities to hit their town, adding that its effects were even worse than “Frank” (2008) and Yolanda (2013).

“Sa kadugayon nga nagtinir ako sa banwa nga ini, amo pa lang ako nakasapura sang devastation nga amo sini. Kadamo na sang bagyo nga nag-agi sa aton, Frank, Yolanda pero wala naton nabatyagan ang ila igo. Last nga bagyo nga naghatag sang dako nga kahalitan ang Jolina,” she shared.

The town of San Joaquin, particularly its coastal barangays, suffered severe damages from “Odette.”

Alunan said that testimonies from the residents indicated that destructive winds and storm surges as big as a house hit the coastal communities.

Houses made of light materials and even those made of concrete were not spared.

“Ang mga panimalay nga made of light materials pati ang mga balay nga made of concrete wala na-spare, ginkuhaan sang bubong, ang iban gin-evacuate earlier pagbalik nila sa sunod nga adlaw ang iban basin (toilet bowl) na lang ang bilin,” she said.

Even tourism establishments which are supposedly recovering from the effects of the pandemic were also damaged by the typhoon.

Storm surges and destructive winds caused by Odette destroyed the structures of beach resorts, farm tourism areas, and marine protected areas of the town.

“We would like to believe that we are one of the most frequented destinations, but sa subong nga natabo nga halos wala na bilin nga mga structures sa aton area kinahanglan naton dako nga bulig para makatindog sila tanan especially ang aton community-based tourism sites,” Alunan said.

Despite the damages caused by the typhoon, the town reported zero casualty except for one missing person from Brgy. Lawigan.

“Despite the damages nga naabtan sang banwa nga ini, wala kami sang casualty. May isa lang kita ka missing person nga padayon ginapangita sa Brgy. Lawigan nga posible naanod sang balod sang gintinguhaan patakason ang baroto sang iya bata,” Alunan said.

Alunan reported that 1,430 families composed of 4,700 individuals were evacuated

Meanwhile, the top five most affected barangays include Sta. Rita, Amboyu-an, Balabago, Lawigan, and Sinogbuhan. The five barangays have been the recipients of the more than 300 family food packs initially distributed by the town’s social welfare and development office.

Currently, clearing operations, field assessment, and evaluation are ongoing for the affected families, fisherfolks, farmers, resorts, and the damaged crops.

As of Sunday morning, majority of the town is still experiencing power interruption. The LGU has set up a charging station in front of the municipal hall for the affected resident.

For those who are willing to send their donations, Alunan said that they can contact or send their donations to LGU San Joaquin or to San Joaquin Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) for proper acknowledgement.

Aside from the town of San Joaquin, the province of Guimaras is also mulling to place the province under a state of calamity due to Odette.

The Guimaras Provincial DRRMC passed a resolution on Sunday, Dec 18, recommending the declaration of a state of calamity in the entire province.

Governor Samuel T. Gumarin said he plans to hasten the declaration to pool and utilize funds for relief and assistance.

“Ari kita diri bangud we want to speed up the declaration of state of calamity sa probinsiya sang Guimaras while gina-iron out naton ang pagclassify sang damage,” Gumarin said.

Based on the Municipal Disaster Risk National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum Order No. 60 series of 2019, which provides for the revised guidelines for the declaration of a state of calamity, PDRRMC identified four out of the seven conditions set by the order to support the declaration in the province.

The four conditions include the following:

a.) at least 15 percent of the forecasted affected population based on science-based projection are in need of emergency assistance;

b.) at least 30 percent of the means of livelihood on agricultural, business, and industrial sectors are affected;

c.) damage to critical and lifeline infrastructure/facilities such as major roads and bridges, power stations, potable water supply systems, and telecommunication facilities;

d.) widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock. (ERS)