CLOSE to 1,000 residents, comprising 228 families were evacuated to the Dagupan People’s Astrodome while others took refuge in schools.

According to Mayor Belen Fernandez, 3,022 residents belonging to 799 families were rescued by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and other groups.

Fernandez said the city’s 44,138 families in 31 barangays in the city were affected by the extreme flooding in the city.

The mayor said the evacuees will remain in various evacuation centers till floodwaters subside and at press time, relief operations continue in all 31 barangays.

The relief goods from the city government were boosted by relief packs made available by Fourth District Rep. Christopher de Venecia, Department of Social Welfare and Development, ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya, St. John Cathedral School (through Archbishop Socrates Villegas and Monsignor Elmer Mangulinao), non-government organizations and the Latter Day Saint Church, SM Central Urdanta and SM Central Dagupan.

Meanwhile, the medicines and hygiene kits such as clothing, toothbrushes, toothpastes, soaps and basins came from the regional and provincial offices of the Department of Health (DOH).

The City Health Office headed by Dr. Ophelia T. Rivera, together with Councilor Dennis Canto and Dr. Jesus Canto, also distributed Doxycycline capsules to those who waded in floodwaters to prevent them from the risk of leptospirosis.

The Department of Health (DOH) Region 1 provided medicines, and hygiene kits like children’s clothing, hand towel, toothbrush, toothpaste laundry soap, bath soap, pail, dipper and basin to the evacuees.

As of July 26, classes in the city were still suspended but government offices already resumed work.

While flooding started to subside in many areas when monsoon rains stopped, floodwater flowing from a collapsed dike in Alibago, Sta. Barbara kept some barangays flooded aggravated by the high tide that slowed down the flow of floodwaters to the sea.

Dagupan City was the first local government unit in Pangasinan to declare a state of calamity when the city city council passed the resolution during a special session at the city museum on July 21.

Pangasinan was declared a state of calamity on July 23.

Fernandez thanked Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Melchito Castro, Police Regional Director Romulo Sapitula, Governor Amado Espino III, Pangasinan PDRRMO, the Philippine Navy, the PDRRMO of La Union, Gov. Pacoy Ortega of La Union, PDRRMO of  Ilocos Sur, and the  Philippine Red Cross  for helping rescue residents stranded in their homes by the flood.

The mayor also thanked DILG Region 1 and the Dagupan Electric Corporation for their help. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments