Iloilo City is now under a state of calamity due the widespread devastation caused by the southwest monsoon intensified by tropical cyclones Crising, Dante, and Emong.
The declaration was formalized on Wednesday, July 30, after the Iloilo City Council approved the resolution endorsed by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).
Based on data from City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), a total of 56,881 residents were affected — 44,723 by flooding and 12,158 by storm surges.
The number of affected residents is more than the 15-percent threshold of the population at risk, required under National DRRMC Memorandum Order No. 60, s. 2019, to place a city under a state of calamity.
With the declaration in place, the city can now access P21.5 million from its P62 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) to address the needs of affected communities.
Among the proposed uses of the fund:
*P20 million for site development of relocation areas in Barangays West Habog-Habog and San Juan, Molo
*P1.4 million for food assistance to displaced families
*P100,000 for the procurement of vegetable seeds to aid post-disaster livelihood recovery
Mayor Raisa Treñas expressed gratitude to the City Council for their swift and unanimous support of the declaration.
“I thank the Sangguniang Panlungsod for approving the declaration of a state of calamity in our city, based on the recommendation of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council,” she said.IMT
