Northern Samar declared under state of calamity

TACLOBAN CITY –– The provincial board on Wednesday declared a state of calamity in Northern Samar amid the devastation caused by Typhoon “Tisoy.”

Damage to crops, property, and infrastructure was pegged at over P335 million.

The report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) showed that 47,781 families, consisting of 224,171 individuals, were affected by Tisoy last Monday.

These families were from the towns of Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Catubig, Gamay, Laoang, Las Navas, Lavazares, Mapanas, Mondragon, Palapag, Pambujan, San Antonio, San Jose, San Roque, and Victoria.

The typhoon also resulted in the deaths of four persons and the injury of 73 others.

At least 28,577 houses were damaged, while 3,774 others were destroyed by the typhoon. Most of these houses were made of light materials.

The PDRRMC said all of the province’s 24 towns suffered damages.

As of Thursday, however, only 17 municipalities of the province have submitted their reports to the PDRRMC.

The PDRRMC said damage to the agriculture sector is almost P162.29 million while damage to infrastructure was estimated at P173.04.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Visayas police based in Palo, Leyte, reported that 13 police stations were also damaged by Tisoy.

Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Eastern Visayas, said they had yet to come up with the value of the destroyed properties.

Edited by LZB