ILOILO City – The city government has released emergency cash assistance to families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by the tornado that tore through parts of Iloilo City on August 8, leaving 101 houses damaged and affecting 148 families or 587 individuals.
Mayor Raisa Treñas personally led the distribution of financial assistance on August 10, as the city moved from emergency response to helping affected families recover from the destructive weather disturbance.
Families whose houses were totally destroyed received P10,000 each, while those with partially damaged homes were given P5,000 each.
Based on Situational Report No. 4 submitted by the Iloilo City Emergency Operations Center to the mayor, four of the 101 damaged houses were totally destroyed while 97 sustained partial damage.
“Ano man nga trahedya natabo pero ang importante, ang ginahambal ko gid pirme importante okay kamo tanan,” Treñas-Chu told the affected families.
Jaro district sustained the bulk of the housing damage, accounting for 77 of the 101 affected houses.
Barangay Cubay recorded the highest number with 26 damaged houses – one totally destroyed and 25 partially damaged. It was followed by Balabago with 12; EL 98 with 11; Calabuhian and Tabuc Suba with eight each; Desamparados with six; Benedicto with five; and Seminario with one.
In Tabuc Suba, one house was totally destroyed while seven were partially damaged.
Mandurriao district, meanwhile, recorded 23 damaged houses. Barangay Q. Abeto had 16 – one totally destroyed and 15 partially damaged – while Taft North had five, including one totally destroyed house. Oñate de Leon recorded two partially damaged houses.
In La Paz district, one partially damaged house was reported in Barangay Gustilo.
Aside from the cash assistance, the city government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 6 distributed food and non-food assistance, including canned goods, rice, milk, sleeping kits, hygiene kits, distilled water, food containers and family food packs.
Emergency Operations Center data showed that the tornado affected 148 families comprising 587 individuals.
As of August 10, only nine families or 24 individuals remained in evacuation centers. They were residents of Balabago, Cubay and Desamparados, all in Jaro district.
The Emergency Operations Center reported that the tornado first struck Barangay Q. Abeto-Mirasol in Mandurriao before moving toward neighboring areas and extending into Jaro district.
Initial community reports showed that the weather disturbance uprooted and toppled trees, brought down utility posts, damaged houses, caused power interruptions and temporarily blocked roads.
The tornado occurred under enhanced monsoon conditions as the southwest monsoon, or habagat, continued to bring persistent and gusty winds intensified by Typhoon “Dolphin,” which was outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility./PN
