THE Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), through a resolution, has allocated an initial amount of P3 million as financial aid to nearby towns and cities hardest hit by recent typhoons.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, who chairs the CDRRMC, said the resolution was approved in a meeting on December 28, 2017, at City Hall. The resolution will have to be concurred by the City Council.
Several areas in Zamboanga Peninsula and Mindanao had been hardly hit by Tropical Storm "Vinta" as well as Tropical Depression "Urduja" that recently hit the country.
Salazar said that initially, the areas to be assisted are the Zamboanga del Norte towns of Siocon, Sibuco, Sirawai, Salug, and Gutalac; Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur; which were hit by Vinta and the areas of Biliran and Cagayan de Oro City which were devastated by Urduja last December.
Salazar said the CDRRMC also commended responders and agencies that helped in the rescue operations in the Vitali area during the onslaught of Vinta where 763 families with 3,850 individuals were displaced.
The storm claimed the life of one-year-old Ramcel Manalopilar in Sibulao an adjacent village of Vitali.
Salazar said they also discussed during the meeting pre-disaster assessment based on a checklist provided in the Disaster Manual for local government units.
Meanwhile, Salazar has turned over satellite phones to the Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (ZCDRRMO) through Dr. Elmeir Apolinario as part of the city's disaster preparedness and response program.
The satellite phones were donated by Smart telecommunications to Salazar two months ago. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)