The Bacolod City Council has placed the city under a State of Calamity this Thursday afternoon following the widespread devastation caused by Typhoon “Tino,” even as local authorities credit preemptive evacuations for achieving zero casualties.
The declaration was made upon the request of Mayor Greg Gasataya and the recommendation of the Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRRMC).
The state of calamity allows the local government to immediately implement a price freeze and access critical funds for assistance.
Gasataya in a statement said that there is a need to implement a price freeze, which is essential during a calamity.
“We also understand the situation of our barangays whose funds have been depleted and can no longer sustain the needs of evacuees and affected families,” he added.
The declaration will enable barangays to immediately utilize 30 percent of their quick response fund from their 5 percent calamity fund. The city government can also access its own 30 percent Quick Response Fund of the 5 percent calamity fund and Trust Fund to speed up relief and recovery efforts.
The city DRRMO reported that 7,895 families or 27,401 individuals underwent preemptive evacuation, a measure that is credited with the zero casualty count.
However, the damage to infrastructure is significant. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) reported that 266 houses were destroyed and 2,028 were damaged in Bacolod, primarily due to storm surges in coastal areas, strong winds, and fallen trees.
The Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) initially reported the evacuation of 7,296 families (25,179 individuals) from 43 barangays starting Monday afternoon. This included vulnerable groups, such as over 50 individuals from the Home for the Blind in Barangay Mansilingan. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, 3,652 families (16,927 individuals) remained in evacuation centers.
Massive clearing operations are also underway across major roads and barangays, led by the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) in coordination with BENRO, BFP, CEO, BCPO, the 303rd Infantry Brigade, and private rescue groups as Negros Power works on re-energizing the entire city.
Gasataya said Negros Power assured him that electricity will be fully restored by November 7. Once electricity is back, the mayor said this will allow telecommunication companies to restore mobile connectivity.
