Evacuees throw stones at Presidential venue in Iligan

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ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / Nov 23) – Angry evacuees from a flood here
pelted stones at the high school library here where President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo met local officials and gave P6 million for flood
relief on Thursday.

The incident happened shortly after the President left the library of
the Iligan City National High School aboard a helicopter.

There were no reports of  local officials and social welfare officers
hurt although the latter called up the police to pacify the evacuees
and secure the exit of the officials.

"We are very hungry and some of that relief goods did not reached us,"
complained one female evacuee.

"They gave us ukay-ukay clothes that cannot be worn while those good
ukay-ukay clothes were distributed elsewhere," she added.

"Others were given but many of us were not," an irate evacuee said.

Evacuees gathered outside the compound of the school and said they
were angered "why these rice cannot be distributed today?".

"They asked us to return tomorrow when we are all hungry now," they
said.

Grace Saquilabon, head of the city social welfare, said that
distribution of goods should be "systematized".

"If we will distribute it today, it will result to chaos," Saquilabon
added.

Mayor Lawrence Cruz said there were about 17,000 residents who
evacuated their areas for higher grounds and evacuation centers.

The President distributed relief goods though, to the evacuees from
Sitio Santa Lucia of Barangay Mahayahay, which was hit hardest by the
flood, after she left the meeting, apparently unaware of what happened
shortly after.  Arroyo personally handed the goods as she also
congratulated the rescue team, led by Boy Edrozo of the City Disaster
Coordinating Council "for a job well done".

The flood damaged crops, roads, and other government infrastructures
worth P32 million. The water system was also affected, including a
damage to a major water line and had to be restored yet.

Arroyo's P6 million assistance would be used to repair the damaged
bridge in Barangay Tubod and other affected infrastructure.

Arroyo was joined by Congressman Varf Belmonte, Mayor Cruz, Lanao del
Norte Governor Khalid Dimaporo, and asked them and the officials from
other Region X areas to undertake "massive reforestation as strategic
flood control".

Belmonte said that city engineers may undertake soon a dredging of
river beds and to construct ripraps along river banks to control
future flood.

Dimaporo also said that the province has already undertaken
reforestation in the towns of Maranding and Liangan after these areas
also suffered from devastating floods in the past (Violeta M. Gloria /
MindaNews)