Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro has placed the city under state of calamity following the onslaught of Typhoon “Ulysses” that submerged most parts of the city to murky flood waters and displaced thousands of residents.
“Ngayong umaga, nag deklara ako ng state of calamity sa Lungsod ng Marikina (This morning, I declared a state of calamity in the City of Marikina),” Teodoro said in an interview over GMA News TV.
Distance learning in the city is suspended until November 17.
The declaration would allow the local government to access calamity funds to provide assistance to residents affected by the weather disturbance.
The mayor said this will also give the local government the opportunity to effectively respond to the needs of its residents, and help them recover from damages caused by the typhoon.
The local government is currently focused on removing thick mud left by the flood to ensure the safe return of residents to their homes. The city will deploy doctors to communities that will attend to health concerns of residents.
“Sa ngayon, aalisin natin ang mga putik na ito upang sa ganun makabalik na muli ng maayos at ligtas ang ating mga kababayan sa kanilang mga tahanan (For now, we will remove the mud so residents can return safely to their homes),” he said.
“Pangalawa, magpapadala tayo ng mga doctor sa mga barangay dahil maraming sakit na maaring makuha sa paglubog sa tubig baha at sa putik na iniwan ng tubig baha (Secondly, we will send doctors to the barangays because there may be diseases that can be contracted by submerging in flood waters),” he added.
Although the city’s public facilities sustained damages, Teodoro noted that damage caused by the typhoon to the livelihood and welfare of residents are terrible.
“Marami sa amin dito ang hindi nakapagtrabaho dahil nga sa bahang dinanas nila. Nasa gitna pa ng pandemya, pero ito pa yung nararanasan namin (Many of us could not work because of the flood. We are experiencing this in the middle of a pandemic),” he lamented.
Teodoro has coordinated with the Social Security System (SSS), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), and Pag-Ibig to provide calamity loans to residents affected by the typhoon.
Typhoon “Ulysses” is likened by many to Tropical Storm “Ondoy” which has brought similar devastation to Marikina in 2009.
Non-stop heavy rainfall, accompanied by strong winds, has submerged a large portion of the city after Marikina River’s water level reached a peak of 22 meters on Thursday noon, a meter less than Ondoy’s peak.