Pangasinan under state of calamity

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan, Philippines — The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan passed a resolution during its Monday session declaring a state of calamity in the province due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was aggravated by the damage from Severe Tropical Storm Maring.

“Pangasinan is still suffering from widespread COVID-19 infections from Aug. 21, 2021 when average daily new cases jumped from 90 to almost 400 daily, peaking at 878... logged on Sept. 18, and 721 new cases on Aug. 27, with compelling grounds to believe that a Delta variant was at transmission,” the resolution read.

“Twenty-eight of the 47 towns in the province were considered as critical zones as more than 25 percent of their barangays detected positive cases, causing private and public hospitals to operate beyond their COVID-19 dedicated bed capacities,” it added.

Last Monday, Pangasinan recorded 97 new cases, bringing the active infections to 1,172.

The resolution noted that damage to infrastructure due to Maring was estimated at P28.8 million; agriculture, P263.6 million and livestock, P1.8 million.

The declaration of a state of calamity will ensure the imposition of remedial measures under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act to hasten relief and rehabilitation efforts, including private humanitarian assistance, to affected families.

Pangasinan is the third province in Ilocos region to declare a state of calamity due to Maring after Ilocos Sur and La Union.