Aklan declared under state of calamity

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—The province of Aklan was declared under a state of calamity Wednesday after floods destroyed at least 81 houses and damaged 363 others in two towns.

No casualties were reported.

In the coastal municipality of New Washington, 9 kilometers southeast of the capital Kalibo, huge waves battered the seawall along the national highway, destroying 75 houses and damaging 363 others in Barangays (villages) Poblacion and Tambak, according to a report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

In Banga town 14 km from Kalibo, six houses were destroyed and 15 families, or 74 persons, were evacuated from Barangay Taba-ao.

Galo Ibardoloza, PDRRMO executive officer, said the state of calamity was declared to enable the release of 30 percent of the calamity funds for relief assistance, especially to those left homeless.

Ibardoloza said the irrigation dike in Banga was being reinforced and residents near the area were alerted after the water from the swollen Aklan River showed signs of overflowing.

Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez had requested the provincial board to declare the province a calamity area after the flooding in Banga damaged rice lands and possibly rendered portions of the provincial road network impassable.