Davao Oriental placed under state of calamity due to floods, landslides

DAVAO CITY — The Provincial Board of Davao Oriental has placed the entire province under a state of calamity due to the destruction wrought by floods and landslides brought about by the continuous rain spawned by the shear line that prevailed over the Davao region last week.

Davao Oriental recorded two deaths, four wounded, and a total of 64,330 families affected, Governor Niño Uy said as he recommended the calamity declaration on Tuesday.

The resolution, passed by the Davao Oriental PB during the regular session on Wednesday, Jan. 24, will pave the way for the release of funds necessary for the immediate relief of those affected and the rehabilitation and repair of the damaged facilities.

READ: OCD: 490,000 people affected by floods, landslides in Davao region 

According to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), damage to agriculture alone is estimated to reach P113.1 million in the province while the destruction of road networks and other critical infrastructures continued to hamper immediate emergency response and disrupted important government services to the communities.

“In the upcoming days and weeks, expect various initiatives and strategies to be rolled out to address the immediate needs of the affected population, rehabilitate infrastructure, and enhance Davao Oriental’s overall resilience against future calamities,” said the provincial government in a statement.

He said that a price freeze would also take effect within the whole province following the declaration to make sure that prices of basic commodities are in check and no one would take advantage of this trying situation.

Aside from Davao Oriental, neighboring Davao de Oro province, which was severely affected by floods and landslides after days of continuous rain last week, also placed itself under a state of calamity.

The Office of the Civil Defense in the region placed the number of people affected by floods and landslides at 606,483 (or 134,879 families), as local government units continued their assessment.

Of those affected, a total of 3,495 families or 12,725 persons are still staying in evacuation centers.

Initially, OCD placed the estimated damage to agriculture in the region at P68.09 million and the damage to infrastructure at P26.87 million. OCD also monitored 141 houses that were totally damaged and 13 that were partially damaged.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development and local governments have given out some P49.58 million in assistance to affected communities.