by Rutchie Cabahug-Aguhob
OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental, Dec. 31 (PIA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III has allocated P54 million to address the scarcity of safe drinking water in areas affected by Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City.
The President made the announcement after he visited the ‘Sendong’ victims in the evacuation centers in the cities of CDO and Iligan, last week.
He said the amount will be used for the rehabilitation/reconstruction and probable replacement of some components of the water system of the CDO Water District (COWD).
Reports after the Dec. 16 flashfloods indicated that 54 percent of the COWD system was submerged in water and destroyed by Sendong, rendering the whole city waterless in the first three (3) days.
“My concern is to prevent contamination in the water system, but we have people from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), together with the COWD, helping each other, to restore the water system as quickly, as possible,” the President said. (PIA-10 Mis. Occ.)