ON BEHALF of Candabenios, Mayor Danilo Baylon lauded the efforts of the provincial government led by Vice Governor Dennis Pineda who personally handed more than 7,000 food packs to thousands of affected families from 11 villages here hit by Typhoon “Ompong.”
“We are very happy and thankful for the quick response of Vice Governor Delta in times of need and calamity. One thing that we admire about the vice governor is that he is all smiles while giving the food assistance to the people. People here are very happy,” Baylon said.
The mayor said the typhoon-affected families in this town are very thankful, first to the Lord God, second to Governor Lilia Pineda and to the vice governor for their quick response.
“When I called up and intended to talk to the vice-governor, I haven’t spoken a word yet and he told me they were already packing more than 7,000 food packs containing five kilos of rice and an assortment of canned goods,” the mayor added.
Prior to this, the municipal council with the approval of the mayor passed Resolution No. 60 declaring the Municipality of Candaba under state of calamity.
“This town (Candaba) was not spared from the wrath of typhoon Ompong which caused the swelling and overflowing of the Pampanga River and the Candaba Swamp inundating majority of the 33 barangays,” the resolution stated.
The resolution said that the widespread flooding has affected 70 percent of the population as it rendered houses submerged underwater. It also said that the main roads – Candaba Baliwag Road and Pasig Cut-Off Channel going to and from Candaba are not passable to all small and light vehicles.
“The farmers and fishpond owners bearing the brunt of the damage as the ready to harvest crops and tilapia were either lost or destroyed,” the resolution furthered.
Records submitted to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office show that as of September 20, 2018, Candaba has 6,134 affected families equivalent to 27, 897 affected individuals from the 10 flooded barangays of Dulong Ilog, Pasig, San Agustin, Lanang, Mandasig, Pansinao, Pescadores, Mandili, Paralaya and Tagulod.
This town has also recorded a damage in agriculture - particularly rice an equivalent amount of P97,156,541.20.
The municipal government is also maintaining the Municipal Action Center as evacuation center with 14 families or 57 individuals from the affected barangays of Pasig and San Agustin.
During the onslaught of typhoon Ompong and until press time, classes are suspended in all levels in Barangays Pansinao, Sto Rosario, Gulap, Lanang, Paralaya, Pasig, Buas, Pescadores, San Agustin, Mandasig and Bambang as the schools are still submerged under two to three feet of floodwaters. (PR)