Arroyo to attend disaster councils meeting in C Oro

MANILA, Philippines - Flood-ravaged Cagayan de Oro City will be the venue of President Arroyo's meeting with disaster coordinating councils in Misamis Oriental province on Wednesday. A Malacañang statement said the meeting will be held at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Conference Room in the city. Expected to attend are 17 mayors, district representatives, and officials of concerned agencies including Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the military and police. National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. will be with Arroyo. Arroyo will get a briefing on the extent of damage caused by heavy rains that inundated several villages in the province and Cagayan de Oro City. She will also get a briefing on damage to crops and infrastructure from Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Constantino Jaraula. As of Monday, the Cagayan de Oro Disaster Coordinating Council said the number of affected families has risen to 19,000 or 100,000 families. The Northern Mindanao Disaster Coordinating Council has reported that some 500,000 residents in the region have been affected by the flash floods. Damage to crops and fisheries, bridges and roads, seawalls, dikes, schools, houses, fishing boats, sea crafts and other infrastructure was initially pegged at P500 million. At least 12 persons were reported killed, and three reported missing. Meanwhile, Arroyo will inspect on Wednesday the Cagayan de Oro 3rd Bridge and Access Road's Puntod-Kauswagan Section. The P815-million Cagayan de Oro 3rd bridge is included in the priority projects of the President as she sees the importance of this vital infrastructure to the fast-growing economy of the city. Upon the project's completion, the agricultural communities in the two congressional districts of Cagayan de Oro and one in Misamis Oriental can immediately deliver their products to the markets. It also serves as access road going to Cagayan de Oro Port. - GMANews.TV