The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) today (June 27) recommended that Pampanga be declared under a state of calamity and to be able to extend necessary assistance to thousands of families affected by floods caused by Tropical Storm Falcon.
This developed during an emergency meeting of the PDRRMC held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall in which the member-agencies unanimously passed Resolution No. 2 series of 2011 recommending the declaration of the state of calamity in the province in the wake of the heavy flooding caused by the said tropical storm.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Andres S. Pangilinan, Jr. said that Engr. Lulu Alingcastre, acting unit head of PDRRM Office, reported that an estimated 88,185 families or 290,818 individuals from 18 out of the total 20 municipalities in the province including the City of San Fernando were affected by the rising floodwaters ranging from one foot to five feet deep.
Pangilinan said that the widespread flooding paralyzed the economic activities in the different municipalities and in the City of San Fernando as major thoroughfares were rendered impassable to light vehicles.
Concerned PDRRMC member-agencies also reported that the tropical storm and southwest monsoon rains caused widespread destruction to fishponds, agricultural crops, poultry and livestocks and other agricultural products and thus need rehabilitation.
Pangilinan cited that when two or more municipalities are affected by a disaster, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan upon recommendation of the governor may declare the province under a state of calamity and thus be able to extend necessary assistance to and see to the rehabilitation of the affected populace.
Last Friday, at the height of the stormy weather, Governor Lilia G. Pineda together with Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) Head Art Punsalan monitored the damages wrought by “Falcon” in barangays San Agustin and San Roque in Sta. Ana town.
The governor was joined by Provincial Planning and Development Officer (PPDO) Fernando Henson and Sta. Ana Mayor Rommel Concepcion in the said monitoring as they mobilized the local residents to clear the San Agustin Dike of water hyacinths clogging the waterways in the area. (Pampanga PIO)
