Saturday, July 26, 2008 DPWH needs rehab budget for typhoon-hit structures
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st Engineering District is waiting for the release of the P7 million budget to complete the rehabilitation of Typhoon Frank-damaged structures in the province.
Assistant District Engineer Jaime Javellana said one of the calamity damages is the destruction of the Kanub-gan Bridge's riprap wall in the municipality of Toboso. He said its repair is estimated to reach P700,000.
Also, portions of roads from the municipality of Murcia-Don Salvador Benedicto leading to San Carlos is impassable since it was hit by landlines as a result of heavy rains.
Javellana, however, told the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) that the roads were immediately cleared and opened to motorists.
He said it is not known as to when the budget will get through but he assured they already started to repair and rehabilitate other damages within the capability of the office.
Malacañang recently ordered government agencies to hasten the repair and rehabilitation of bridges and other public structures hit by the typhoon.
Meanwhile, the search for the 94 fishermen who went missing at the height of Typhoon Frank is still ongoing.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PSWD) officer Liane Garcia said the operation is headed by Cadiz City Vice Mayor Samson Mirhan.
Records from the PSWD showed that out of the 404 fishing boat crews reported to have been sailing that day, 36 died, 274 survived and 94 were declared missing.
The search was intensified with the creation of "Task Force Mananagat" to augment the efforts of the rescue team headed by Mirhan.
Garcia said the Provincial Government provided the task force with manpower, food and fuel to strengthen the team's rescue capability.
Cadiz City was the hardest hit by "Frank" in Negors Occidental. The resident's main source income here is fishing. The city is also the main source of fish in the province.
The 12,547 family victims already received 175 sacks of rice, 95 boxes of sardines and 95 boxes of noodles, she said. They also conducted stress de-briefing sessions to the families of drowned victims of the calamity.
Garcia said the PSWD is currently processing the papers of the 36 dead fishermen for possible assistance from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), adding the fishermen organizations may also receive livelihood grant from the Department of Agriculture if they submit a project proposal.
