State of calamity declared in 2 Negros towns

Two towns in Negros Occidental were placed under states of calamity after heavy rains brought about by typhoon "Goring" flooded most of villages there and damaged agricultural lands. Online news site Visayan Daily Star on Wednesday identified the two towns as Valladolid and San Enrique. Valladolid Mayor Romel Yogore said 14 out of the 16 villages in Valladolid were flooded, affecting 1,310 families in the villages of Matugnaw, Mabini, Pacol, Guintorilan, Tabao Proper, Central Tabao and Ayungon. The local health center and local social welfare office were opened for evacuees. Rice, canned goods, and noodles have already been distributed to the affected families as an initial measure to provide assistance, Yogore said. Yogore said authorities can release more assistance from the town's P600,000-calamity fund. Valladolid is a fourth-class town with a population of 32,576 people in 6,653 households. For her part, San Enrique Vice Mayor Victoria Delos Santos said floods affected 5,282 families in 10 barangays (villages) of the town, after the Cansunsing River overflowed. Affected areas were Bagonawa, Sibucao, Batuan, Tabao-Rizal, Baliwagan, Guintorilan, Poblacion, Nayon, and Tibsok. Sixty families were evacuated to the town's public market. The Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council has approved the release of P400,000 in calamity funds for the affected families, she said. Initial reports from the municipal agriculture office of San Enrique showed partial damage in 367.10 hectares of land planted with palay (rice grains), Delos Santos said. San Enrique is a fifth-class town with a population of 22,091 people in 4,419 households. Meanwhile, heavy rains from typhoon "Goring" also brought floods to Bago City, affecting 82 families in five puroks of Sampinit (village). - GMANews.TV