ILOILO CITY -- More than two weeks after the onslaught of tropical depression Agaton, the Iloilo province has been finally placed under a state of calamity.
The declaration of state of calamity in the province came after the Iloilo Provincial Board approved the request of the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (Iloilo PDRRMC) during its regular session on Tuesday, April 26.
With the state of calamity declaration, the Iloilo provincial government can now cause the release of funds amounting to P66 million to help the province in its economic recovery effort after most of its farm lands had been inundated during the onslaught of tropical storm Agaton.
The damage to the agriculture sector was pegged at P733 million while the damage to roads and bridges reached P185.7 million.
Based on Iloilo PDRRMC data, the disaster affected 697,021 inhabitants and left five people dead.
The flooding also totally damaged 1,107 houses while partially damaging 21, 168 houses.
Iloilo Provincial Board Member Rolly Distura said the bulk of the calamity fund will go to the agriculture and fishery sectors. It has an allocation of P44 million while another P6 million for poultry.
About P12 million allocation will go to those whose houses were totally damaged or partially damaged and another P5 million has been allocated for rehabilitation of damaged provincial structures.