By Joseph B.A. Marzan
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Antique on Thursday officially voted to declare a state of calamity over the whole of the province due to the damage dealt by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (International name: Nalgae) over the last week.
The decision was based on the recommendation of the Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), which met on Wednesday to formally ask the provincial board.
The SP declaration follows Proclamation No. 84 issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, which placed the entire Western Visayas region under a state of calamity, along with CALABARZON (Region 4-A), Bicol Region (Region 5), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao told Daily Guardian that the PDRRMC had already made a determination to recommend a state of calamity when the proclamation was issued.
“We already wanted to use our [calamity fund], but [Marcos Jr.] was first [to issue a state of calamity], the Sangguniang Panlalawigan followed because it was already being processed, so it doesn’t really matter. What is important is that we are all systems go,” she said.
The governor said that they are set to utilize an P8-million allocation from their Quick Response Fund (QRF), but only P1 million has been specifically earmarked to rent a barge to transport goods from Iloilo.
She cited the collapse of the Oyungan Bridge in Miag-ao town in Iloilo province, which is the primary way for traders to bring goods into their province.
Fuel traders will also be using the barge to bring oil to the province, in response to some stations in towns closing shop after the collapse of Oyungan and Paliwan bridges, the latter connecting the towns of Bugasong in the southern part and Laua-an in the northern part of the province.
ILOILO PROVINCE
In Iloilo province, PDRRM office chief Jerry Bionat said that a standalone provincial declaration was no longer necessary from them, citing Proclamation No. 84.
He explained that a national issuance of a state of calamity would suffice for the province to use its own QRF.
“Since we are preempted by the presidential proclamation, there were then preparations in our data in the case that we qualify. Percentage wise, we have reached 20% [of affected persons], [and] the law requires only 15%. But there was an immediate proclamation, so there was no longer a need from the local government unit, particularly the four regions, to declare a state of calamity. Such presidential application applies,” Bionat stated.
The Iloilo PDRRMO estimated as of 12:00 noon on Thursday, November 7, that 424,664 persons have been affected, or 20.72 percent of the province’s total population of 2.049 million, with 7 deaths already logged.
The Iloilo Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office has provided augmentation to 13 local government units as of 12:00 noon on Wednesday, and additional augmentation has likewise been provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Region 6 (DSWD-6).
They also estimated damages worth P160.18 million in infrastructure and P419.6 million in agriculture.
