PROVINCIAL Capitol, Pili, Camarines Sur -- The Sangguniang Panglalawigan has declared a state of calamity in the province during its regular session last Monday after tropical storm “Bebeng” submerged 27 towns and one city in three districts and forced the evacuation of 11,000 families or about 56,000 persons all over the province from Sunday to Monday.

Vice Gov. Fortunato Peña said that Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) decided to declare a state of calamity after the floodings practically affected 90 percent of the province’s agriculture, fishery and livestock raising areas, damaging P132 million worth of rice crops and P177 million worth of corn and other high-value crops.

SP Member Angel Naval, chair of the committee on environment, said newly-passed RA-10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 provides that local government units may declare their own state of calamity and use their calamity funds.

The province will now use 30 percent of the allotted  P65-million calamity fund and mandate national government agencies to respond to the situation.

PDRRMC Secretariat head Luzena N. Bermeo reported that “Bebeng” claimed the lives of nine persons -- four from drowning and three mostly minors from landslide in Luluasan, Balatan town.

Bermeo identified the landslide victims as Maribel S. Ruelan, 19, Princes Ruelan, 8 months old, Marco Sanchez, 7, and those who drowned as Wencislao Lombis of Sagrada, Balatan, and Romeo Marianito of Baliwag Viejo, Minalabac.

Rolandro Balandia died in his farm in La Opinion, Nabua while Dodoy Ronan of Bgy. Casugad and a certain “Abagat” of Lubagan, both in Bula, were swept away by floodwaters. An unnamed victim died in an accident on the national highway in Lupi town.

Bermeo noted that “Bebeng” spawned unpararelled floodings on the national roads, including the Liboro-GRS junction on the Andaya Highway in Ragay town and Tambo-Pasacao road, which stranded thousands of commuters from Metro Manila.

Some 10,000 food packages were distributed to isolated villages in Balatan and coastal communities of Lagonoy, Siruma, Garchitorena and Calabanga towns.