Antique officials are moving to place the entire province under a state of calamity after Severe Tropical Storm Opong (international name Bualoi) and the southwest monsoon left widespread destruction late last month.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) approved a resolution on Thursday, October 16, recommending the declaration so the provincial government can use its PHP29 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) to help affected families and repair damaged roads, bridges, and public facilities.
Provincial Administrator Robin Rubinos, who led the emergency meeting, said they will submit the resolution to the Provincial Board for discussion in its Monday session.
He said that the declaration will allow the provincial government to respond faster and address the needs of residents affected by the storm.
Two towns—Laua-an and Culasi—had earlier declared a state of calamity due to severe damage, prompting the provincial council to recommend a similar move for the entire province.
A report from the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team estimated Antique’s total losses at PHP389 million. Infrastructure and lifelines accounted for PHP336 million of the damage, followed by agriculture and fisheries at PHP35 million, social services at PHP10 million, economic and tourism facilities at PHP6 million, and livestock and poultry at PHP1.3 million.
The storm also damaged 754 houses in the towns of Sebaste, Hamtic, and Tibiao—50 completely destroyed and 704 partially damaged.
Rubinos said this would be Antique’s second calamity declaration this year. In July, the province also went under a state of calamity after the southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Crising brought floods and landslides.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a personal blog on Medium.