Ormoc, Kananga placed under state of calamity

July 10, 2017

Ormoc City and Kanaga, a municipality, were placed under a state of calamity following a meeting held by cabinet members, led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, in Tacloban on Monday. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in the situation briefing, presentations were made by Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez and Kananga Mayor Rowena Codilla. “It was determined that Ormoc City, along with Kananga, a Leyte municipality, would be declared under  a state of calamity,” said Abella in a statement. Key power facilities to distribute power to eastern Visayas were damaged by last Thursday’s magnitude 6.5 earthquake that also claimed two lives. “The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the energy situation should be addressed as possible to avoid losses in revenue,” said Abella. “Mayor Gomez reiterated need for clean water.” Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella said earlier “the Ormoc substation is the critical facility to deliver power to the electric cooperatives in Region 8. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines is “testing the bypass line so that the power can be delivered to 210 megawatts and the 40 megawatts in addition for Bohol,” said Fuentebella. The National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has recorded more than 60 million pesos worth of damage caused by the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck Leyte province. Romina Marasigan, NDRRMC spokesperson, said in a text message to the Daily Manila Shimbun that as of Monday  estimated cost of damage by the earthquake has reached to  P 60,986,608.02 pesos. Marasigan said the infrastructure damaged during the earthquake include roads, bridges and a national buildinge. Based on its latest report, there are 14 road sections and 10 bridges damaged in Biliran, Leyte, and Southern Leyte. Despite the reports of damage in infrastructure, the NDRRMC said roads and bridges remain passable. The agency also recorded a total of 1,765 houses damaged in Leyte, with 735 totally destroyed while 1,029 were partially damaged. Marasigan said the number of injured victims rose to 329. The NDRRMC report shows that the most of the injured individuals were recorded in Ormoc City, Leyte with 38 admitted patients and 181 others that were treated at the outpatient department. The number of affected individuals also remains at 9,185 or 1,837 families from the 14 barangays in Leyte. According to the NDRRMC, 73 families or 365 persons were currently being served within an evacuation center in Kananga while the 1,765 other families or 8,820 people were staying with their relatives. (Robina Asido/DMS)