Press Release
June 25, 2008

REVILLA TO BRING RELIEF GOODS, CHECK DAMAGED INFRA IN ILOILO

Senator Bong Revilla is set to go tomorrow (Thursday, June 26) to Iloilo to personally distribute relief goods to the families distressed by the recent onslaught of typhoon "Frank" and assess the damaged infrastructures in the said province.

Revilla explained that he chose Region 6 or the Western Visayas as area of his initiated relief operation to aid the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) fulfill its mission of bringing sufficient relief to all families heavily affected by the typhoon.

"As far as I know, the bulk of relief operations are presently concentrated on Panay Island , Central and Eastern Visayas regions - particularly in Panay and Negros - and in Mindanao . We just want all affected regions to have equal share of aid," the lawmaker clarified.

Among the items that the senator will bring to Iloilo are sacks of rice and boxes of instant noodles.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), in its 6 p.m. bulletin Tuesday, reported that 198,224 families from 1,898 barangays in 207 municipalities were affected by the typhoon, while 105,374 houses were destroyed by flashfloods and strong winds. The agency said damage to properties, agriculture and infrastructure could reach over four billion pesos.

The NDCC also disclosed that Western Visayas was hardest hit by the typhoon. The provinces of Aklan, Iloilo and Saranggani have been placed under a state of calamity.

In his capacity as chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works, Revilla will also check the infrastructures in Iloilo province and the possible damage they sustained. "We must determine how we can immediately remedy damaged infrastructure. Then we proceed as soon as possible for the rehabilitation or if necessary, the reconstruction of these infrastructures," he said.

News reports also bared that at least ten bridges in the province were damaged leaving some people stranded. These are Tigum Bridge in Tabucan Cabatuan, Maribong and Misi in Lambunao, Emelda Bridge in Maasin, Presidential Bridge and Gines Bridge in Alimodian, Binanwanan in Tubungan, Camanggahan in Guimbal, Buyo in Sta. Barbara, and Parara in Tigbauan.

Bridges that are not passable are Tigum, Emelda, Binanwanan and Gines. Crops in the province also perished when rains flooded and destroyed rice fields.

Based on the records of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC), around P500 million worth of infrastructure were destroyed in 432 barangays in Iloilo province.

"It is high time that the 41,882 barangays in the country directly be part of national government's effort on disasters and calamities. To further address calamity problems that the country regularly faces just like what typhoon Frank brought, I filed a bill that would decentralize disaster management strategies down to the barangay level, "said Revilla, referring to Senate Bill 2013 which seeks to replace NDCC with the NDMC (National Disaster Management Council) and have its own annual fund under the General Appropriations Act.

Instead of the Local Government Units (LGUs) having the prerogative to create and fund Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils in its jurisdiction, the NDMC will directly establish barangay-based disaster management groups which will be called as Barangay Disaster Management Councils (BDMCs). The BDMC will be funded through the annual budget of the NDMC.

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