Capitol assures: We’ll address livelihood concerns of Ursula-hit areas

As the sun starts to rise on Saturday, December 27, residents in Carnaza Island in Daanbantayan also flock to the shores for the relief items delivered by personnel from the Capitol and Cebu Police Provincial Office. | Photo courtesy of Capitol PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Getting back on their feet, for victims of Typhoon Ursula, may be harder if it is their livelihood that is directly affected.

Neil Angelo Sanchez, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief, said the Capitol would be reaching out to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to help local fishermen in the island and coastal communities of northern Cebu who lost their fishing boats during the typhoon.

Today, Sunday, December 29, 2019, three teams from Cebu Capitol set off to Kinatarcan, Carnaza, and Malapascua Islands with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to deliver relief goods to the residents there.

“Ongoing karon ang distribution together with CPPO (Cebu Police Provincial Office)  and our provincial social welfare office. Naa mi karon sa Malapascua sa Barangay Logon then we will go to Carnasa to oversee the distribution,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez said 15 sacks of rice for repacking had been ferried to the islands.

Read more: State of calamity declared in Daanbantayan, Medellin

“Gi-check ni Gov ang mga immediate needs and ang mga damages nila especially sa mga mangingisda nga naapektohan ang livelihood nila. That’s another thing kay we have to talk with BFAR on this,” Sanchez told CDN Digital via phone.

(The governor checked on the immediate needs and damage on the islands especially from the fishermen, whose livelihood have been affected. That’s another thing because we have to talk with BFAR on this.)

Sanchez added that the Provincial Agriculture Office was also looking into the damage in crops in the mainland towns like in Medellin and Daanbantayan.

The two towns have already declared a state of calamity since last December 26 due to the damage on crops and properties brought by the Christmas eve wrath of Typhoon Ursula.

Read More: IN PHOTOS: Christmas Day at typhoon-hit Daanbantayan town

The typhoon wreaked havoc in the northern towns of Cebu, leaving the cost of damage that were initially pegged at P66 million.

Its strong winds and destructive waves shattered several fishing boats and damaged croplands in the severely affected areas.

Read more: Garcia: No need to place Cebu under state of calamity

Although Sanchez has recommended for the declaration of a province-wide state of calamity, Governor Garcia earlier said it might not be necessary since the southern and central parts of the province were not as severely affected.

“Duna man gu’y uban nga munisipyo nga ni-declare og SOC. We will review this and we have to get their damage assessments and we will sit down again with the PDRRM Council if there is really a need to declare [a State of Calamity],” said Sanchez.

(There are other municipalities that had declared an SOC. We will review this and we have to get their damage assessments, and we will sit down again with the PDRRM Council if there is really a need to declare [a State of Calamity].)

Declaring an SOC would allow the access of the PDRRMO’s Quick Response Fund (QRF), which is 30 percent of the total 2019 DRRM budget of about P220 million./dbs