P50M allocated for damaged structures

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said P50 million has been set aside by the provincial government for the rehabilitation of damaged structures like houses of typhoon survivors in the province.

Diaz said the allocation is part of the supplemental budget approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Tuesday.

The SP also approved the resolution of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council declaring a state of calamity in the province in the aftermath of “Odette.”

The budget will be used in the purchase of GI sheets, where the concerned local government units will also provide a counterpart in buying other construction materials.

Based on the report of the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office, the typhoon destroyed 42,432 houses while 159,832 were partially damaged.

The hardest hit areas were Kabankalan City, Sipalay City, Cauayan, Ilog and Hinobaan.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday donated 400 sacks of rice to the typhoon victims, of which 200 sacks have been given to the provincial government and 100 sacks each for the cities of Bacolod and Kabankalan.

Diaz said that Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya also donated 300 more sacks of rice, 500 jerry cans of potable water, hundreds of cartons of canned goods, noodles and non-food items.

The city governments of Cadiz, Talisay and Bago, among other Negros Occidental LGUs also dispatched their respective rescue teams to help in road clearing operations, aside from the 12 teams of the PDRRMO.