5,800 BOTOLAN FOLK TOLD TO PERMANENTLY LEAVE HOMES
SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA, OCTOBER 11, 2009, (STAR) By Ding Cervantes – Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso said residents of four barangays in Botolan town have to permanently abandon their homes as the Bucao River continues to flow through their villages toward the South China Sea.Rampaging waters from the Bucao River, which first wreaked havoc in Botolan during storm “Kiko” last Aug. 6, have prevented some 5,800 evacuees from returning to their homes in Barangays Carael, Paudpod, Batonlapoc, and lower San Juan.
A dike breached during Kiko collapsed again during tropical storm “Ondoy.”
An official of the Provincial Disaster Coordina-ting Council earlier admitted that the natural channel of the Bucao River used to flow through the four affected barangays.
Earlier, Chief Superintendent Leon Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, said the government would permanently relocate the displaced residents and allow the Bucao River to run its path now.
De la Cruz said Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane reached this decision in a recent meeting of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council.
“The decision was to let the river seek its natural course,” he said, echoing statements that the Bucao River has merely reclaimed its original channel.
Flooding since Ondoy has affected 10 out of 31 barangays in Botolan, but the four barangays that Deloso named were the most severely affected.
The provincial government, Deloso said, is now drafting a master plan for a 4,000-unit socialized housing project that will be put up on a 52-hectare land he himself donated near the still-to-be-completed Iba-Tarlac Road in upper San Juan.
Deloso could not readily give an estimate of the cost of each housing unit but said the road construction alone would amount to some P61 million.
“We are trying to lessen the cost of the project so that the beneficiaries will not have a hard time paying for their units,” he said.
No more food in Batanes By Jack Castaño (The Philippine Star) Updated October 11, 2009 12:00 AM
BASCO, Batanes , Philippines – “There is no more food. Unless help is extended to us, we will start counting the dead on Monday!”
This is one of the frantic text messages received by this reporter from residents of the island-municipality of Itbayat, the country’s northernmost town, 35 nautical miles from here.
Sea travel to the island has been suspended by Coast Guard authorities the last two weeks due to rough seas.
The islanders postponed celebration of the feast of the town’s patron saint on Oct.6, for lack of rice to cook.
“We have some vegetables and root crops to survive on, but on a very limited scale,” said one of the messages received.
Still, another message received said: “Just as the National Power Corp. has reduced its operating hours to only four hours a day, we are now eating only once a day.”
Gov. Telesforo Castillejos, according to a member of his staff, has requested Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council to dispatch a helicopter for a possible airdrop of rice in the beleaguered island-municipality.
“Considering the need for the same government asset in more seriously typhoon stricken areas, it is far-fetched to expect that help will come immediately,” said the staff member.
Rep. Carlo Diasnes, a native of the island could not be reached for comment.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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