TACLOBAN CITY – The entire province of Samar has been placed under a state of calamity following the massive destruction caused by Typhoon “Opong,” which lashed the region with torrential rains, flooding, and landslides late last September.
Based on data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), the typhoon inundated and triggered landslides in 547 of the province’s 951 barangays, affecting at least 34,143 families or 132,250 individuals—equivalent to 16.4 percent of Samar’s total population.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) approved the declaration through Resolution No. 18-113-25, sponsored by Board Member Jade Kie Tiu and unanimously adopted by the entire provincial board on Sept.30. The measure aims to speed up relief operations and rehabilitation programs for communities hardest hit by the storm.
Agriculture suffered heavy losses, with damages estimated at P72.1 million, affecting 7,421 farmers. The fisheries sector also incurred P26.3 million in losses, impacting more than 1,000 fisherfolk.
Under National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) guidelines, a state of calamity may be declared when at least 15 percent of the population requires emergency assistance or 30 percent of livelihoods are disrupted—thresholds that were both met in Samar’s case.
The declaration allows the provincial and local governments to utilize calamity funds, impose price controls on basic goods, and implement emergency measures such as infrastructure rehabilitation, relief distribution, and restoration of essential services.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
