Samar map. INQUIRER FILES
TACLOBAN CITY — The province of Samar was placed under a state of calamity due to massive flooding and landslides that affected more than 20,000 families.
The move was made after the provincial board approved Resolution Number 17-206-23 during their regular session on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The Provincial Risk Reduction Management Council, headed by Gov. Sharee Ann Tan, endorsed it.
Samar, composed of the cities of Calbayog and Catbalogan and 24 municipalities, was among the localities that were badly affected by incessant rains spawned by a shear line and trough of a low pressure area from Jan. 9 to 14, 2023.
“Whereas, initial reports indicated that 214,160 individuals were directly affected by flooding and landslides in their respective local governments, which corresponds to 27% of the total population of the province,” part of the resolution read.
Samar has a total population of 793,183 based on the 2020 census of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Earlier, the towns of Basey, Gandara, and San Jorge as well as the city of Calbayog declared a state of calamity due to the nonstop rains.
Eastern Samar declared a state of calamity last Jan. 6 while the province of Northern Samar did so on Jan. 16.