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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/07 February) – The local government is sending half a million pesos worth of relief goods to the island province of Sulu where thousands of people were displaced by floods spawned by torrential rains last week.
In an emergency session Monday, the city council granted the request of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) to allocate P500,000 from this city’s calamity funds for the purchase of the relief goods.
The city council convened just after the CDRRMC meeting adjourned.
Mayor Celso Lobregat said the relief goods will be shipped Tuesday by a Navy boat from this city to Jolo, the capital town of Sulu.
“We have to work overtime to catch up with the Navy boat that is leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) for Jolo,” Lobregat said citing they have to yet to purchase the goods.
Among the relief goods that will be shipped to Jolo are rice, blankets, cooking utensils, noodles and sardines “which are needed most as mentioned by Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin during our phone conversation while the CDRRMC is holding its meeting.”
Amin reported that 1,140 families with 4,560 dependents were displaced by flashfloods.
Notre Dame Jolo College president Fr. Charlie Inzon said the whole of Jolo town “became a river” citing the water rose to “as high as 10 feet in some areas.” (MindaNews)