Climate change ‘here already’

GUINDULMAN, Bohol, Philippines – Mayor Ma. Fe Piezas of this town and Mayor Conrada Amparo of neighboring town of Duero appeared convinced that storms, like "Queenie" that struck their respective turfs, appeared to be consequences of the so-called "climate change."

In separate interviews, residents of coastal barangay Bunga Mar of Jagna, one of the towns badly hit by "Queenie," said in vernacular that climate change, which they only heard before, has come to reality. Some of them also suffered the fury of the storm which they blamed on climate change.

Mayor Amparo said indeed what happened last week was an effect of the climate change.

She bared that she has been reminding the residents residing within the coastal areas to start transferring to higher lands for their safety. The call, she said, is somewhat part of the preparedness of her administration.

She was thankful that there were no casualties, except for the few injured. She added that the storm left the town's infrastructure in shambles, like the municipal-operated Duero beach and public swimming pool and DepEd's Central Elementary School which were badly damaged.

Mayor Amparo, in an exclusive interview, said that the Sangguniang Bayan here in special session declared the town under the state of calamity, obviously to tap its calamity fund.

A total of 58 houses were severely destroyed, costing an estimate of P4,825,000 and some 180 partially, worth P7,912,600, she said. There were a total of  202 fishing boats and their fishing gears badly damaged, worth P7,322,900. The damaged seawall, concrete fence and dirty kitchen of Central Elementary School here was estimated to be worth P875,000.

The most ravaged barangay is Madua Sur based on the amount of estimate, to the tune of P2,587,000 of 47 houses partially damaged and barangay San Pedro's 23 houses partially damaged. Madua Sur's worth of 59 damaged boats and paraphernalia was P1,974,000 and San Pedro's 19 boats damaged, P1,365,000. The assessment was signed by the mayor and MSWDO officer Avelina N. Sabandal.

The mayor said that it cost her administration some P50,000 to clean up the debris, particularly the municipal-managed public swimming pool by the sea destroyed by the storm is worth a million pesos, Duero beach, P2 million, cultural center, P150,000; fish port, P1 million.

For her part, Mayor Piezas said it seemed the storm is already a reality of climate change.

The mayor said that she has been calling residents residing at coastal areas to start packing and relocate their dwellings elsewhere away from shoreline.

Her call is also done to give way the "40-meter salvage zone" in her turf.

Mayor Piezas revealed that it's somewhat the mentality of the residents being "hard headed." They won't do something for their safety until they themselves are victims of the calamity, she said.

She said that Vice President Jejomar Binay is expected to give aid to her constituent-victims sometime next week. She did not give details. But her administration has already assessed the extent of the damage and is preparing to provide assistance to the victims, she said.  – /JMD