Barili’s Disaster Preps Pay Off

The Municipality of Barili’s effort to heed the call for disaster preparation paid off.

Mayor Teresito Mariñas thanked Governor Hilario P. Davide III for the Php 5 million financial aid he received last year.

The fund was used to construct a rip rap along Santa Ana River to prevent flooding in Barangay Santa Ana.

The river overflowed at the onslaught of Typhoon Seniang last December and caused the flooding in Barangay Poblacion.

The folks along the river especially those located in the lower area were thankful of existing dike that helped tame the onslaught of the river flow from mountain.

“Abi nako katapusan nato nako kay grabe kaayo ka kusog ang uwan unya ang tubig hapit moawas sa (I thought it was my end because it was raining so hard and the water appeared to spill over the) dike,”said Avelina Cajocson, 67, a Santa Ana barangay health worker (BHW).

The typhoon left 36 houses totally damaged and over a hundred others partially damaged. The hanging bridges in Santa Ana were also destroyed.

Mariñas, nevertheless, was happy with the zero casualty accomplishment during the typhoon. He recognized the help of the BHWs and tanods in the evacuation efforts.

He also believed that the dike also prevented casualties in his town during the typhoon. This, as the common problem of the other affected towns is the overflowed rivers.

Seniang killed drowned and killed at least 14 people in the most hit town of Ronda.

Davide was in Barili and Aloguinsan last January 20 to distribute the cash incentives of barangay workers.

In his message, Gov. Davide reiterated that the Capitol will give financial aid to families whose houses were damaged by the typhoon.

Php 10,000 will be given to those whose houses were completely damaged and Php 5,000 to those houses that were partially damaged.

Davide pledged to help the town in reconstructing the destroyed hanging bridges in Barangay Santa Ana.

Currently, the Capitol is also working on reconnecting the damaged provincial road in Barangay Nasipit.

“Kami sa Provincial Government kanunay nagpaluyo sa mga programs ug projects dinhi sa inyong lugsod (We in the Provincial Government always support you in the programs and projects of the town),” assured the governor.

On his first day at the Capitol, the first office Gov. Davide checked was the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

In his visit to the towns and courtesy call with the mayors and local officials, the governor emphasized the importance of instituting mechanisms for disaster preparedness even before the deadly typhoon Yolanda.

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