DAVAO CITY – Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. met provincial leaders here on Wednesday, January 24, to evaluate the impact of the shear line weather system and identify the needs of affected areas in the Davao region.
SAP Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. tackles the effects of the shear line during a meeting in Davao City on January 24.
Lagdameo, along with Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Leo Tereso Magno, convened a meeting with the governors of Davao del Oro and Davao Oriental, along with representatives from the provincial government of Davao del Norte, on the matter.
The SAP informed them of his plan to meet Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan to expedite the infrastructure reconstruction in the Davao region.
Lagdameo said in a statement that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. instructed him to collaborate with provinces in Davao and address the concerns of the local government units (LGUs) and constituents’ concerns after the disaster.
The provincial leaders thanked Marcos for his support and guidance to the LGUs in Davao during and after the shear line that killed and injured people and displaced many last week.
Davao de Oro Gov. Dorothy Gonzaga said she is happy that Marcos attended to their needs. She added that it was a rare opportunity for Lagdameo to visit and address their concerns personally.
“It is a very challenging and trying time for us, but the President is readily giving us assistance and direction,” said Davao Oriental Gov. Niño Uy who also thanked Marcos for sending Lagdameo.
Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Oriental expressed concerns about their infrastructure and agriculture destroyed by the flood and affected thousands of farmers.
Magno affirmed his commitment to coordinate with Davao governors and furnish relevant information to Lagdameo regarding the province’s concerns.
The Office of the Civil Defense-Davao (OCD-Davao) said 134,879 families or 606,483 individuals from 337 barangays in the region have been affected by flooding and landslide caused by the week-long shear line.
OCD-Davao said damage to infrastructure was P26.7 million while that for agriculture, according to the Department of Agriculture-Davao region was P145,435,917.