State of calamity hovers over NegOcc as P5B lost to ‘Odette’

By Dolly Yasa and Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) passed a resolution placing the province under a state of calamity after a meeting he presided at the social hall of the provincial capitol.

Lacson summoned the council as the province comes to terms with the trail of deaths and destruction left behind by super typhoon “Odette” last week.

“The result of the meeting is that we have declared the whole province of Negros Occidental under a state of calamity,” Lacson told reporters here.

Lacson said the resolution will be forwarded to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for its approval.

The declaration will allow the provincial government to tap its calamity funds to aid communities devastated by the storm.

As of press time, Lacson also issued Executive Order No. 21-59 placing the entire province under a state of calamity.

He said their initial assessment indicated that the province lost around P5 billion, mostly in agriculture and infrastructure, in the aftermath of Odette.

PDRRMC data indicated that the province so far incurred P5,982,947,301.65 worth of damage and needs in the aftermath of Odette.

The amount includes damaged houses (P212,780,000), destroyed houses (P13,635,000), schools (P268,331,200), agriculture (P4,445,050,801.65), animal and livestock (P488,780,000), Health (P13,602,000), food and nutrition (P327,768,300), infrastructures (P201,000,000), and seaports (P12,000,000).

Around 20,589 rice farmers were affected covering 20,995.88 hectares in 31 local government units (LGUs).

For corn, 446.60 hectares in 14 LGUs was affected, while for High Value Crops, 2,294.34 hectares in 18 LGUs was also affected.

At least 181,110 people were affected by the typhoon, 33 were dead upon verification with the police – 11 men, 21 women, and 1 child.

Fourteen persons are still missing and 36 were injured.

In his executive order, Lacson said that based on the initial assessment of the PDRRMC, Odette claimed 38 lives, destroyed 3,764 houses and damaged 16,477 houses.

The devastation in agricultural crops and livestock are expected to rise as more reports come in and communication lines are restored.

“Due to the severity of Super Typhoon Odette ‘s destruction, there is an immediate need to declare a state of calamity across the entire province of Negros Occidental,” the governor said.

Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said the resolution declaring a state of calamity in the province will be a priority in their session Tuesday.