SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna, Dec. 9 (PNA) — After receiving assessment reports from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Council relative to the damage and casualty caused by typhoon “Ruby” – which was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) today – Mayor Amben Amante requested the local legislative council to lift the declaration of the state of calamity.
When PAGASA announced that the province of Laguna was among other provinces in the Calabarzon under Public Storm Signal No. 3, Mayor Amante requested the legislative council to declare the city into a state of calamity as a measure for the barangays to use their calamity fund and to regulate prices of commodities should the situation worsen.
The city conducted a preemptive evacuation to 2,700 individuals at the height of typhoon Ruby.
Mayor Amante commended barangay officials and other organizations in the city for their immediate actions and support to achieve “zero casualty” in the city. The evacuees started to return to their residences before noon today, November 9.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Government of Laguna initiated the distribution of relief goods starting at 12 noon today.
Public Information Officer (PIO) of Laguna Cris Sanji in a text message to the Philippines News Agency (PNA) informed that the first round of relief operation commenced in the municipality of Los Baṅos then in the cities of Calamba, Biñan, and San Pedro within the 1st and 2nd districts.
Evacuees in most parts of the province were allowed to return to their residences this afternoon. However, some evacuees in Los Baṅos are still in the evacuation areas pending evaluation and assessment by authorities since they are living in landslide prone areas. (PNA)