FOR COVID-19, TYPHOON MARING

THE provincial government declared a state of calamity in Pangasinan due to the extent of damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, aggravated by the effects of severe Tropical Storm Maring that affected four of the six districts of Pangasinan.

Resolution No. 2899, authored by all the provincial board members present, took into consideration the statement of Rhodyn Oro, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer (PDRRMO) chief, that the declaration is intended to help fight and  respond to COVID-19 and to address the damages caused by Tropical Typhoon Maring.

Oro said it was the PDRRMC, through Governor Amado Espino III, that recommended the declaration for a state of calamity to ensure the provincial government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and to the impact of Typhoon Maring.

When Second District Board Member Von Mark Mendoza asked Oro if the requested declaration is a duplication of the national declaration of President Duterte placing the entire country under the state of calamity because of the COVID-19 pandemic,

Oro said it is not because a declaration of a state of calamity was also advised by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Typhoon Maring, destroyed farmers’ crops amounting to P263 million, livestock raisers  lost P1.8 million while damage to government infrastructures was estimated at P28.8 million.

Data from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG), damaged palay was estimated to have reached P100 million, P15 million worth of corn; P53.4 million worth of high value crops; and P83,7 million on fisheries.

Worst hit were farmers in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth districts where rains dumped by Typhoon Maring were unusually high while some fish farmers in Labrador in the second district had to harvest their fish prematurely.

On COVID-19, Fourth District Board Member Jeremy Rosario, chairman on health of the SP, said the declaration of a state of calamity was urgent to address the requirement of the Commission on Audit (COA) to ensure continuing allocation in the fight against COVID-19 and in consideration of proactive and mitigating measures needed in the campaign.

Rosario said all 14 provincial hospital are functioning as COVID centers and need the funds to continue to operate effectively. (Leonardo Micua)

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