TANZA, Cavite –– The 13 hardest-hit coastal villages out of 41 barangays in this town are on the priority list of relief operations, as thousands of residents are recovering in the aftermath of the floods spawned by monsoon rains induced by tropical depressions “Henry” and “Josie.”
“Ang pinakanasalanta po ay ang mga coastal barangay po namin, 13 out of 41 barangays po ay grabeng nasalanta ng bagyo (The hardest hit are the 13 coastal barangays out of 41barangays in this town),” Mayor Yuri Pacumio said.
Pacumio said some 225 families or 1,180 individuals received relief goods from the local government with the assistance of Cavite (6th District) Rep. Luis ‘Jon Jon’ Ferrer IV.
“Eh 90 percent po ng mga residents of these barangays are pangingisda ho ang kinabubuhay, eh hanggang ngayon ho di sila makapag-trabaho sa pangingisda (Around 90 percent of these barangay residents are fisherfolk, and until now they still could not resume fishing yet),” Pacumio added.
John Sanariz, chief of the Tanza Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) reported Wednesday that most of the affected families came from the coastal Barangays Julugan 7 and 8, Amaya 5, 6, and 7, Sahod Ulan, Calibuyo and Capipisa.
Sanariz said that six houses were totally damaged while around 50 houses were partially damaged by typhoons.
He said the Tanza local government is now distributing thousands of relief packs of rice and canned goods to affected barangay residents.
The Municipal Agriculture Office here is also assessing the extent of damage wrought by the weather disturbances, which flogged the town and most parts of Cavite province.
According to ex-officio Councilor Simon Matro, president of the Federation of Association of Barangay Captains (ABC), the local government is also giving some financial assistance to banca owners for repairs of their damaged fishing boats.
In addition to the local government unit assistance, Ferrer also distributed financial assistance to the affected families, especially in Barangay Capipisa. (Dennis Abrina/PNA)