North Luzon Monitor

North Luzon

Baguio now under state of calamity

Baguio City was declared under the state of calamity after the members of the city council approved resolution 494-2023 citing multi – million damages in infrastructure caused by Super Typhoon Egay.

Initial damages were reported at P18,403,943 sustained by the electric distribution utility Beneco including reports from the City Building and Architecture Office, City Engineering Office and damage to facilities and crops reported by the City Veterinary and Agriculture Office.

“The CDRRMO (City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) also reported incidents of 163 leaning/ fallen trees/ branches, 34 electrical concerns; 17 incidents of flooding; 14 incidents of soil erosion; five stranded people/ vehicles; 25 incidents of landslides; two clogged drainages; and one incident of medical/ trauma assistance,” the resolution read.

The city’s declaration came several days after Abra, Apayao, Benguet and Mountain Province were also placed under a state of calamity due to Egay.

“With 75 out of the 128 barangays or 58.59 percent reporting critical incidents such as damage in house or properties, casualties and evacuees, the city meets the necessary qualification to declare a state of calamity,” it read.

The resolution further said one of the criteria laid down by the National DRRMC in declaring a state of calamity is when at least 15 percent of the forecast affected population needed emergency assistance.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported the current rains will ensue until the weekend, increasing risk to residents.

“Declaring a state of calamity is crucial to facilities’ access to additional resources, streamlines assistance efforts, and enables the city government to provide timely support to affected residents, businesses, and infrastructure. This is a necessary step that will empower the city government to address the immediate needs of the community and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive recovery,” the resolution read.

The declaration allows the city government to access the quick response fund (QRF) for services related to rehabilitation and recovery. NLMonitor

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