DRRMC alerts public against La Niña

PIA Press Release

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DRRMC alerts public against La Niña

by Elaine O. Ratunil

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 17 (PIA) – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), Northern Mindanao, has called on all the local DRRMC’s to undertake precautionary measures in their areas of responsibility (AOR) against the likely occurrence of floods and rain-induced landslides in hazard prone areas.

This, after the National DRRMC, has issued La Niña Advisory No. 3, on January 16, 2011, to inform and warn communities to take proactive actions to aim for zero casualties and avoid loss of lives and properties that may result from this phenomenon.

The La Niña advisory issued talks about proactive actions which may take the form of evacuation rather than rescue or mitigation and prevention rather than response and rehabilitation, said Regional Director Ana C. Cañeda of the Office on Civil Defense (OCD), region 10.

The ongoing oceanic and atmosphere patterns in the equatorial Pacific reflect the continuation of a weak to moderate La Niña. The latest observations, combined with model forecasts, suggest that La Niña will be weaken and expected to dissipate between March and May. Its peak is likely this January.

Meanwhile, the weather systems that influenced the country’s climate during December were Northeast (NE) monsoon, ridge of High Pressure Area (LPA), tail end of the cold front, wind convergence, Low Pressure Area (LPA) and one tropical cyclone, said Cañeda.

Tropical Storm ‘Sendong’, on Dec. 15-18, ranked first for the top ten (10) 2011 Philippine destructive tropical cyclones with the most number of deaths totaling to 1,275 as reported of which cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in region 10 suffer the most.

Climate pattern during the month was influenced by the on-going La Niña event enhancing rainfall distribution in most areas in the country.

By this January, slightly warmer than normal surface air temperatures are expected to affect the country. However, cold surge is expected over extreme northern Luzon. Predicted ranges of temperature for January will be 17oC to 33oC over the lowlands of Luzon, 11oC to 24oC over the mountainous areas of Luzon, 20oC to 31oC for Visayas, 22oC to 34oC over the lowlands of Mindanao and 17oC to 24oC over the mountainous areas of Mindanao.

Weather systems that will likely affect the country in January are NE monsoon, tail end of the cold front, LPA and ridge of HPA.

One tropical cyclone is likely to develop or enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) during the month. Rainfall distribution in most areas of northern and central Luzon will likely above normal including the western section of Mindanao. Flooding, flashfloods and landslides are likely to happen in some affected areas, particularly over Visayas and Mindanao. The rest of the country is expected to have near normal rainfall condition. (PIA-10)

Membership Renewal Letter

January 10, 2012

Dear Fellow Oro Chamber Members,

In order for business to get back on its feet after the devastation made by typhoon Sendong, your Chamber-- the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (OROCHAMBER) is now moving forward in mobilizing private and government sector support for the much needed economic recovery , rehabilitation  and resettlement of affected families. 

For 2012, your Chamber intends to pursue four  major programs in response to city’s  rehabilitation programs : 

1. Business development  assistance to member SMEs thru various bridge financing schemes ,

Senior expert services, trade and market  linkages from local and foreign partner Chambers

Technical and management trainings , and most of all streamlining business processing of local permits and taxes;

1. Advocacy on corporate responsibility along environmental protection,  disaster preparedness,  and investment for additional  power generating facilities; 
2. Work with national, local  and international agencies in fast tracking the reconstruction of major infrastructure projects damaged by Typhoon Sendong such as river embankment/ flood control projects, repair/maintenance of bridges, repair of the water and electric distribution systems , and  most of all  installation of warning systems  and devices along the riverbanks. The need to  update the land use development  plan of the city is also very vital at this point in time. 
3. Campaign for private sector support in the planning , designing, and implementation of a comprehensive community development program on the relocation sites that will be established. 

In the succeeding months,  your  Chamber will be organizing several  dialogues with local authorities,  national government agencies ,  and international donor institutions   to jump start the necessary reforms and rehabilitation process. 

Against this backdrop, I would like to appeal for your cooperation and support by renewing your membership with the Oro Chamber and likewise to get involved in the various undertakings mentioned above. Your  renewed commitment will certainly go along away as we pull ourselves in rebuilding our beloved City .. 

Very truly yours,

Ma. Teresa R. Alegrio

President

Local gov’t grants break to businesses | BusinessWorld Online Edition

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- The city government has agreed to grant business chamber members adversely affected by tropical storm Sendong (international name: Washi) relief from unpaid real property penalties and surcharges.

This follows earlier meetings of a delegation from the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber) with the city finance committee to follow up a letter request dated Jan. 11 to Mayor Vicente Y. Emano, through Councilor Simeon V. Licayan as chairman of the city ways and means committee, that requested the tax relief.

Among the measures requested through chamber president Ma. Teresa R. Alegrio were:

• deferment of new assessment fees provided in the new Revenue Code of Cagayan de Oro pertaining to the renewal of business permits for a year;

• application of the old assessment rates for affected micro, small and medium enterprises;

• condonation of penalties on all unpaid real estate taxes since the global crisis of 2007 up to the present; and

• extension of the processing of business permit renewal for another month.

“We had a successful final meeting with the city finance committee and essentially, all our requests were granted except for the extension of the business renewal period to February,” said chamber executive director Lordilie C. S. Enjambre in a memorandum to the board of trustees.

“Hence, payment of outstanding real property taxes from 2007-2011 can now be done less interests and surcharges until April 30, 2012 while the old business permit assessment rates will be applied to directly affected MSMEs (micro and small and medium enterprises),” she added.

Partial results of a survey conducted recently by Oro Chamber revealed that 57 member MSMEs were directly affected by Sendong with damage to equipment and structures amounting to P129.5 million while equipment losses in the manufacturing sector totaled P224 million.

Member companies in the hotel and restaurant sector also reported a 60% drop in income due to canceled functions and bookings, personnel and client fatalities, and shortage of electricity and water.

“The business sector is doing its best to provide relief assistance to all affected families including its own employees and workers,” read the chamber’s letter to the mayor.

“The road to economic recovery, however, may take some time and for this reason the Oro Chamber is appealing for your consideration on the subject requests,” it added.

The city treasurer’s office has requested the chamber to submit its list of affected MSMES by Jan. 16 as basis for collection.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in a situationer report on the impact of Sendong as of 8 a.m. on Jan. 15, tallied the dead at 1,257, unchanged from the previous data, with 181 still missing since the calamity struck on Dec. 17, and over 6,000 injured. Damage has reached P1.456 billion, about two-thirds of which was in infrastructure and the rest in agriculture. The storm affected 13 provinces in eight regions in the Visayas and Mindanao, or more than 1.14 million persons. -- Michael D. Baños