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[av_heading heading=’ Number of flood-affected families rises to more than 2,000 – DSSD ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY and RANIE AZUE
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BACOLOD City – As of yesterday, about 2,048 families were recorded to have been affected by the flood that hit several barangays in the city, according to the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD).
The count was just partial, said Social Welfare Officer IV Sally Abelarde, as they were still coordinating with some barangays to come up with the final list.
Abelarde said the DSSD will still have to validate the number after the list is furnished.
DSSD records further showed that the number of totally damaged houses rose to 91 while the partially damaged, 102.
Financial assistance will be given to the affected families after DSSD’s assessment and validation.
For his part, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the city government still has to see the available fund to determine the amount to be given to the affected families.
The city government is also planning to coordinate with its neighboring cities and municipalities for the installation of flood early warning systems.
The city was flooded from around 6 p.m. on Sept. 22 to around 2 a.m. on Sept. 23 due to the enhanced southwest monsoon rains that poured water measuring 40 millimeters in just a span of six hours, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, CDRRMO cluster head, said the water that caused the flood came from the Lupit and Magsungay rivers in Murcia and the mountains of nearby Talisay and Bago cities.
Vargas said he is waiting for Leonardia’s “go-signal” to coordinate with his counterparts in the neighboring areas and come up with a comprehensive warning system.
The warning system will give the disaster risk reduction and management office personnel one to two hours to advise residents to evacuate a flood-prone area, Vargas explained.
The CDRRMO cluster head also said the warning system may be installed in a river in Barangay Cansilayan, Murcia.
A memorandum of agreement is needed to do this, Vargas said.
The CDRRMO plans to install at least six warning systems around the city.
Meanwhile, records from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) showed that Valladolid has the highest number of affected families in Negros Occidental.
A total of 2,093 households from the 12 villages in the town were affected by the flood, PDRRMO said.
In Pontevedra, 338 families were affected followed by Talisay City with 158, Sipalay City with 42, San Enrique town with 33, and Silay City with 2.
PDRRMO personnel said the numbers were not yet final.
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Provincial Engineer’s Office have yet to declare the total extent of damages in agricultural properties and infrastructures, respectively./PN
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