Three provinces in Mindanao recently affected by flooding and landslides received PHP16 million worth of rice from the Valenzuela City government on Saturday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, whose family hails from the donor city, led the turnover of 12,800 sacks of rice to Agusan Del Sur, PHP4.75 million (3,800 sacks); Davao de Oro, PHP4.25 million (3,400 sacks); and Davao Oriental, PHP7 million (5,600 sacks of rice).

“We saw the extent of damage caused by the calamity. This is just the first batch of the assistance and we will provide them more if they still needed assistance,” he said in an interview.

The senator emphasized that disaster-mitigation efforts would greatly improve if local government units have the funds for infrastructures designed to protect against natural disasters, payment of obligations incurred in funding projects related to disaster preparedness and mitigation, and hiring of workers to implement disaster risk reduction and management programs.

Banaybanay Mayor Lemuel Ian Larcia expressed gratitude for the assistance.

The Davao Oriental town received 400 sacks of rice.

“Of the 14 barangays in our town, almost all were heavily affected by flooding which occurred last month. Around 10,333 families were affected,” Larcia said in an interview.

Considered as the rice granary of the province with nearly 42,000 hectares of highly agricultural areas, he said most of their farms were damaged.

“It directly affected our farmers and laborers. That’s why we are doing everything to address their needs,” Larcia said. (PNA)