SP declares 2nd State of Calamity for Dagupan

By October 2, 2018Headlines, News

THE Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), in a special session Wednesday afternoon, passed a resolution declaring a new a State of Calamity in Dagupan City.

Resolution No. R-5683, authored by Majority Floor Leader Maybelyn Fernandez, was passed after lifting a prior declaration issued two months on July 18, 2018 when the city experienced severe flooding due to heavy monsoon rains.

A day after, President Rodrigo Duterte placed Region 1, 2, and 3, and the Cordilleras under the State of Calamity.

It was the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) that requested for the lifting of the previous declaration of a state of calamity and recommended a new  declaration because of the effects of super Typhoon Ompong.

In defending the measure, Councilor Fernandez said a new declaration was necessary to enable Dagupan to avail of help from various government and non-government agencies, including international bodies.

The resolution was approved but not without a heated argument between Fernandez and Minority Floor Leader Redford Erfe-Mejia who requested DRRMC officials to first submit
documents relating to expenses in the previous calamity declaration before approving her resolution.

Fernandez accused Erfe-Mejia of badgering and harassing De Guzman, Assistant City Health Officer Julieta de Venecia and Lorna Fernandez of the City Social Welfare and Development Office for demanding impossible terms.

Erfe-Mejia asked De Guzman to cite the number of productive manhours lost by every person in Dagupan who could not go to work because of the flood and the amount of losses suffered by the private sector.

He also sought a certification of an official receipt for every relief good distributed and received by flood victims in the city, including food, health kits and medicines sourced from the calamity fund released by the city government.

A five-minute recess had to be called by Assistant Presiding Protempore Jose Tamayo to stop the shouting match.

A new declaration of a state of calamity was sought by Mayor Fernandez as early as September 19, three days after the onslaught of Typhoon “Ompong”, but this could only be calendared by the SP in its regular session on September 24 since the city council did not hold any session owing to the flood.

In her letter to the city council, Mayor Fernandez said that while Super Typhoon Ompong
already left the Philippine Area of Responsibility(PAR) last week, its disastrous impact was still being felt by the city.

CDRRMO’s  De Guzman said Sitio Fisheries in Barangay Malued remains flooded affecting 1,000 residents.

Assistant City Health Officer De Venecia said the City Health Office had run out of Doxycycline capsules for flood victims and the Department of Health had to deliver 3,000 capsules.

She said CHO anticipates the rise of dengue cases in Dagupan and countermeasures have to be set in place.

All councilors present voted to adopt the resolution, Erfe Mejia registered a vote of “conditional objection.”

Vice Mayor Brian Lim was again out of town. (Leonardo Micua)

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