Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Typhoon Frank destroys P45M in Central Mindanao
By Nelson C. Bagaforo
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Big waves and heavy rains brought by typhoon Frank (international codename: Fengshen) destroyed hundreds of houses in coastal villages in this city Saturday, affecting at least 200 families who are temporarily housed in some public school gymnasiums here.
The City Government immediately embarked on distribution of relief goods in areas affected -- barangays Bawing, Bula, Calumpang, and Dadiangas West, Rebecca Magante, city social welfare development officer said Monday.
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City Mayor Pedro Acharon skipped the opening ceremonies of Yaman Gensan 2008, a month-long business activity here, to personally supervise the distribution of relief assistance to affected families.
"Fortunately nobody got hurt. Walang casualties. Evacuees are already provided with immediate assistance," Magante said.
The City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office reported that P1.9 million worth of properties were destroyed.
The Office of Civil Defense in Central Mindanao on Monday reported damage wrought by the aftermath of typhoon Frank in the region, which was placed at nearly P45 million as of Monday, but is still expected to grow as relief workers rush to the fields to assess the destruction.
The death toll in the region brought by flashfloods and landslides officially stood at five, OCD said.
Gerry G. Castillon, OCD chief for operations, said they are still ascertaining the exact damage to infrastructure and farmlands due to the heavy rains brought by the typhoon.
"As of 7:30 p.m. on June 22, the impact of the typhoon in our area destroyed at least P8.5 million worth of infrastructures," he said, adding that personnel have been dispatched to the different provinces in the region to appraise the extent of damage.
In Sarangani, Vice Governor Steve C. Solon said heavy downpour wrecked properties worth at least P34 million in at least four towns.
"We're mulling to put Sarangani province under a state of calamity to help our affected constituents," Solon said.
Some 1,775 families were affected by flashfloods in Sarangani, or a total of 6,917 individuals have sought refuge in various evacuation centers, he added.
Relief goods have been sent to the evacuation centers in Sarangani but Solon said they need an additional 250 sacks of rice, 30 boxes of canned goods, kitchen utensils, medicines and milk for the children.
This latest figure from Sarangani, said Castillon, has yet to be received by the OCD in Central Mindanao.
Castillon said the regional civil defense office, which helps in disaster management, asked its main office for 800 sacks of rice to be distributed to flood victims in affected areas.
The affected towns are Alabel, Maasim, Kiamba and Maitum in Sarangani province; Lambayong, Esperanza, Bagumbayan, Palimbang and Lebak in Sultan Kudarat; Alamada, Pigkawayan, Kabacan and Libungan in North Cotabato, Castillon said.
In South Cotabato, heavy down pour caused flashfloods in Lake Sebu, Surallah and Sto. Nino, he added.
Meantime, the Department of Agriculture in Central Mindanao expects damage to farmlands at a "tolerable level."
Abusama M. Alid, regional agriculture director, said that palay farmlands in the area are "still in the vegetative stage, thus damage would "not be that significant." (With BSS)
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