Zambo allocates P1.5M to Ondoy victims in Luzon
The City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) headed by Mayor Celso Lobregat yesterday approved the allocation of P1.5 million as financial assistance to other local government units located in Luzon and ravaged by typhoon Ondoy last week.
Lobregat said the amount, taken from the city’s calamity funds, will be divided among the 6 areas that include Marikina; Isabela City in Cagayan Valley; Dagupan City in Pangasinan; Trece Martires City in Cavite; and Laguna. Each LGU will receive P250,000.
The CDCC resolution, authored by Councilor Abdurahman Nuño cited section 5 of Republic Act 8185.
Typhoon Ondoy dumped heavy rains and packed strong winds killing over a hundred people and destroying billions worth of properties in huge part of Luzon last September 26-27.
Zamboanga City was not spared from the wrath of Ondoy but the damage here was very minimal as compared to the destruction wrought in the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Region as well as in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A and 4-B and 5 and several other areas.
President Gloria Arroyo has declared the country to be in a state of calamity and has called for assistance not only from the local community but the international community as well.
Per memorandum orders issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the different cities can use part of their calamity funds to assist other LGUs struck by calamity.
Mayor Lobregat yesterday convened the newly-reconstituted CDCC to discuss about the assistance to Ondoy victims and other issues like disaster preparedness.
In Zamboanga City, at least 50 houses, mostly located along the shorelines and river banks were totally ravaged at the height of typhoon Ondoy and over 600 families were displaced. Mayor Lobregat has ordered intensified relief operations for the affected families, who returned to their places after the water in their receded.
Meanwhile, the CDCC has been reconstituted by virtue of executive order CL 289-2009 amending EO 144-2007 and reconstituting the composition of the CDCC.
Lobregat is the chairman of the CDCC with the City Police Director as the vice chairman. The members include 39 agencies—both government and non-government organizations.
The CDCC has been reconstituted in view of the demise, the reassignment to other cities, retirement or other causes of the existing members.
The CDCC is primarily to mitigate the cruel effects of calamities or disasters. Its creation is necessary to revitalize the system to enhance the survival capability of the people by systematically directing, controlling, and coordinating the entire manpower material, financial and other resources in meeting major calamities/ disasters that may occur anytime. (Sheila Covarrubias)