Dagupan City placed under state of calamity due to floods

The Sangguniang Panlungsod declared Dagupan City under a state of calamity due to floods caused by prevalent rains earlier in the week brought about by Severe Tropical Storm Maring (Kompasu).

The Sangguniang Panlungsod, led by Vice Mayor Bryan Dean Kua passed Resolution No. R-6104 during a special session held Friday afternoon, October 15, in response to a letter of request sent by the office of City Mayor Marc Brian Lim, who asked that the matter be taken up urgently.

Based on an initial report from the City Social Welfare and Development Office, at least 165 families or 601 individuals have been sent to evacuation centers, while around 50 fishpond and fishcage operators in the city have been affected by Maring.

While all of Dagupan City’s 31 barangays are flooded, no casualties have been reported as of posting.

Declaring Dagupan City under a state of calamity would enable the use of the Quick Response Fund or around 30% of the city’s allotted calamity fund.

Ronald de Guzman, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the Quick Response Fund will be used for relief operations, rehabilitation and construction, recovery, and other services for constituents.

De Guzman said floods would recede by Sunday if there would be no rains in the coming days, except for Malued and other low-lying barangays.

Dagupan City, along with nearby Calasiao town, receives the brunt of floodwaters from the Cordilleras. This is why despite Maring already leaving the country a few days ago, its effects are still being felt downstream as the water flows to the Lingayen Gulf. – Rappler.com

Ahikam Pasion is a Luzon-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship.