Southern Leyte officials propose rehabilitation plans to PNoy

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  - Top officials of Southern Leyte presented the entire rehabilitation needs of the province to President Benigno "PNoy" Aquino III, who yesterday flew to Eastern Visayas to inspect the disaster-stricken areas in the region.

Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado discussed with Aquino the provincial government's rehabilitation plans on infrastructures damaged by floods and landslides due to continuous downpour since December.

Mercado said that, while the provincial government has provided assistance to the immediate needs of the evacuees, it still needs the help of Malacañang to rehabilitate the province.

The rehabilitation plan presented to Aquino covered the damaged river control systems, irrigation dams, and canals, bridges and roads, and even the agriculture industry, the total cost of which has been estimated to reach P72 million.

The evacuees may be returning soon to their respective communities but they would have a hard time coping up the recovery process unless the government acts immediately on rehabilitation, said the governor.

There were still 1,500 families housed at evacuation centers in St. Bernard, while 44 families in Bontoc town were not allowed yet to return to their houses unless the Mines and Geosciences Bureau could assure the safety of their barangay from possible landslides or flooding.

Aquino also conducted an aerial inspection to evaluate the extent of damage sustained, especially in the worst hit town of Saint Bernard were three children died of the recent landslide that covered two houses in Brgy. Balodbalod on January 3.

Office of Civil Defense-8 regional director Angel Gaviola, also the chairperson of the Regional Disaster Management Council, reported that the provinces of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar were also badly hit by extreme flooding with seven people, three of them children, died of drowning. This brought to 14 the total number of casualties in the region, he said.

The OCD-8 said that close to 59,000 families in these two provinces have remained displaced due to floods in at least 20 towns.

Northern Samar was placed under a state of calamity by Governor Paul Daza, while Governor Condrado Nicart also did the same to Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile in Biliran province, some 20 hectares of rice plantations in Caibiran town have been destroyed by floodwaters, which was followed by infestation of rice black bug in the rice fields of Naval town.

A team from the Office of the Provincial Agricultural Services (OPAS) in Biliran is now going around the province to assess the damages to crops. (FREEMAN)