Roads being opened up for survivors’ food

NOT AMUSINGA boy walks past an amusement park in Santiago, Isabela, that appeared to be deserted as Typhoon “Rosita” (international name: Yutu) slammed into parts of northern Luzon. – GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

BAGUIO CITY—Work crews are rushing the opening of roads leading to Natonin town, Mountain Province, so more food and supplies can be distributed to communities reeling from landslides that killed nine people there when Typhoon “Rosita” (international name: Yutu) crossed northern Luzon on Oct. 30.

The landslides blocking provincial and municipal roads have isolated Natonin since Tuesday, said Mountain Province Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. on Friday.

But engineering teams from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have started removing debris on roads from the province’s capital town, Bontoc, to Barlig town, 60 kilometers from Barangay Poblacion in Natonin, he said.

Food, fuel

Blocked roads in Paracelis town have also been partially opened up to Barangay Magnaw, about 7 km from the town center.

Food packs were flown to Natonin by helicopter on Thursday, All Saints’ Day, and 200 liters of fuel for heavy equipment were scheduled to be airlifted from Isabela province, Lacwasan said.

“We have not yet started rehabilitating areas damaged by Typhoon ‘Ompong’ [in September], and then Rosita struck so we are still under a state of calamity,” he said.

Lacwasan joined President Duterte in inspecting damaged infrastructure after briefing him about Natonin’s situation in Isabela province on Thursday afternoon.

TEARS FOR THE DEADRita Pinnay wipes tears from her eyes as she recounted the tragedy that struck her family at the height of Typhoon “Rosita.” —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

Extra job

Despite preparations, people were caught off guard by the collapse of a road in Barangay Banawel in Natonin that dragged buildings, among them the DPWH municipal engineering office where more than 20 people had taken shelter.

Three members of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were among those confirmed dead in the Banawel landslide, the military said on Friday.

Leobel Orchilion, Linang Pallichang and Jonathan Ngilin, all assigned to the Cafgu auxiliary company at Aguinaldo town in Ifugao province took side jobs as laborers building annexes at the DPWH compound in Natonin.

Boulders and debris from the top of the mountain rolled 500 meters toward the DPWH building and other structures, and fell about 5 km down the Sifu River when the road collapsed, said lawyer Edward Chumawar, head of the Mountain Province disaster risk reduction and management office.

Most of the people inside the DPWH building were laborers who came fron Aguinaldo, Tabuk City in Kalinga province, Baguio City, and Abra, La Union and Isabela provinces.

Ten of them fled before the DPWH building was dragged down into a ravine. Four people were pulled out alive from the mud on the first day of rescue operations in Banawel, Chumawar said.

As of Friday, eight bodies had been retrieved from the rubble as well as from the river.

Two other Cafgu members were among the 20 people who have yet to be accounted for, according to Capt. Jefferson Somera, spokesperson for the Army’s 5th Infantry Division.

Lacwasan said rescue operations were also ongoing for two missing residents in Barangay Lias and Kalew in Barlig. —WITH REPORTS FROM KIMBERLIE QUITASOL AND VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.