Surigao del Norte placed under state of calamity

BUTUAN CITY- The province of Surigao del Norte has been placed under a state of calamity after continuous rains caused flash floods and damaged infrastructure and agriculture. In an interview with GMANews.TV, Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco Matugas confirmed that the provincial board placed the province under a state of calamity. The board made the declaration upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council chaired by Surigao del Norte Governor Sol Folcadilla Matugas. Rep. Matugas said his congressional staff already started distributing about 1,000 sacks of rice and 100 boxes of canned goods to the affected areas in the province. The Office of the Civil Defense Caraga regional office reported that about 235 barangays in the province of Surigao del Norte alone with about 20,137 families or (around 103,121 individuals) were affected by flash floods and landslides. A farmer, Amado Basadre, 37, of San Francisco, Surigao del Norte, was reported missing after being swept by the strong current of a river that he crossed. Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal told GMANews.TV in an interview that he already instructed all PNP personnel in Surigao del Norte to help in the rescue and relief efforts of the provincial government. “Hopefully I will personally lead the relief goods distributions with my cops as soon as all relief goods are consolidated" Rafal said. OCD Caraga regional director Dr. Blanche Gobenciong told GMANews.TV the calamity that struck the Caraga region is already the third since the beginning of the year. The Caraga region is composed of five provinces, namely Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur; Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur and the Dinagat Islands. – VVP, GMANews.TV