Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario is hopeful that the province will be declared as a calamity area by next week in order to respond to the financial needs of the community.
“I have already submitted my proposal to the Sangguniang Bayan and I am hopeful that they will approve it by next week,” del Rosario said while waiting for the arrival of President Benigno S. Aquino III at the Davao International Airport Friday.
He said the declaration of the province as a calamity area will help the provincial government provide financial and other assistance to the residents. He added that the president has assured them that the national government is ready to provide assistance to the provinces hit by the typhoon.
While the province has zero casualty, its agriculture was badly hit by the flooding and strong winds that came as Typhoon Pablo made a landfall in Baganga, Davao Oriental on December 4, 2012.
The declaration, he said, will help us tap financial assistance and extend credit to residents who may need it as a result of the disaster.
“Up to 10 hectares of crops have been damaged, most of them planted to bananas,” he said. The damage to the province’s agriculture is estimated to be at P2 billion already, he added. The typhoon has also affected up to 100 school buildings in the province.
Despite the economic losses brought by the Typhoon to the region, del Rosario said they are still thankful that the region has zero casualty which can also be attributed to the preparation efforts of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
“One of the lessons learned from this tragedy is the importance of establishing risk reduction offices all over the country,” he said. But while the province was well-prepared, he acknowledged that no amount of preparation can prevent what happened in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley. [LAC]
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