DPWH Secretary Mark Villar. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — Infrastructure damage due to the recent onslaught of Super Typhoon Rolly has so far reached P5.756 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Tuesday.
Majority of the damage was recorded in the Bicol region where Rolly first made landfall on Sunday morning.
“As expected, our assessment teams identified majority of the destruction in Bicol Region amounting to P4.621 billion,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in a statement.
Of the total estimate, P1.515 billion accounts for damage to roads, P458.2 million to bridges, P2.036 billion to flood-control structures, P367.25 million public buildings, and P1.379 billion to other infrastructure.
The DPWH Bicol Region has also reported the closed roads in the island province of Catanduanes which was previously isolated due to a province-wide power outage and unavailability of telecommunication signal since the landfall of Rolly, the world’s strongest storm this year.
Impassable roads in Catanduanes include the intermittent sections of Catanduanes Circumferential Road due to landslides and fallen trees specifically along K0009+200 and K0009+500 sections in Brgy. Balongbong, Bato, K0029+500 and K0029+700 sections in Brgy. Libod, Pandan, K0172+200 section in Brgy. Putting Baybay, San Andres, and along K0000+000 – K00009+200 section from Brgy. Francia, Virac to Brgy. Balongbong, Bato. Also closed are Jct. Bato – Baras Road and Baras – Gigmoto – Viga Road due to fallen electrical posts.
Villar said the agency has already deployed quick response teams to conduct clearing operations along the affected road sections.
“These roads must to be opened soonest for the relief efforts which Catanduanes badly needs right now,” he said.
Aside from the three roads in Catanduanes, five other road closures were reported in Region 5 namely: Tabaco Wharf Road 2, Ligao -Tabaco Road (S03651LZ) K0520+373 – K0520+723, Matacon Polangui Jct. Rd. section KO488+300- K0492+600 in Albay; Lagonoy-Caramoan Road K0530+300, RS, Ancolan, Presentacion, and Nabua- Balatan Road in Camarines Sur.
DPWH likewise, identified two remaining closed road sections in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Luzon namely: Apayao-Ilocos Norte Road, K0630+100 – K0630+130, Dibagat, Kabugao, Apayao and Nueva Ecija – Aurora Road Detour Road at Diteki Bridge due to fallen poles, wires, and other debris.
To date, a total of 19 road sections were already cleared and opened by the DPWH quick response teams.