Egay affects 500K, causes billions in damage in N. Luzon

Photo credit: Philippine Coast Guard

MANILA, Philippines — Super Typhoon Egay, known internationally as Doksuri, has left in its wake a trail of devastation in several parts of the country, affecting over half a million people and leaving many homes and livelihoods in ruins, particularly in Northern Luzon.

The typhoon, which unleashed strong winds and torrential rains, has affected 582,288 people in 45 provinces across 13 regions, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report.

Northern Luzon, where Egay made landfall on Tuesday, bore the brunt of the typhoon, with significant damage reported to agriculture, including crops like corn and rice, as well as livestock and poultry. The initial damage is estimated at P832.8 million.

The estimated damage to infrastructure is valued at P1.2 billion.

Oxfam Pilipinas and its partner, the People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN), are on the ground to assess the situation and provide relief to those in need.

“We have been closely monitoring the situation since day zero and coordinating with different national and local government agencies to ensure that the immediate needs of the most vulnerable communities are addressed effectively,” said Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Geronimo.

Initial reports show that communities in Luzon have suffered massive damages to agriculture, with corn, rice, livestock, and poultry losses amounting to P3.1 million in just two days.

Several areas in Cagayan are currently affected by power outages. Initial information shared by PDRRN said most of the crops were damaged in the municipality of Baggao in Cagayan.

“We expect the number of affected communities to rise as reports from other areas come in,” said PDRRN Executive Director Esteban Masagca.

“We need to support the affected local government units and respond quickly to the needs of the worst-hit and most vulnerable as another storm threatens to affect disaster-hit areas in the next days, who have not yet recovered from the impacts of Egay,” Masagca said.

Oxfam Pilipinas has also expressed the need to strengthen the health and safety protocols in evacuation centers, which might be disregarded and increase COVID-19 infections.

“As we respond to the survivors’ immediate needs, we must not forget the looming risk of COVID-19 infections and other protection issues,” said Geronimo. “Women and girls, for instance, are at a higher risk for gender-based violence in evacuation centers.”

Oxfam Pilipinas is a humanitarian, development, and campaigning organization that has been working with partner organizations nationwide for 35 years for a just and equal future without poverty.

(This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by an editor.)

Quirino Bridge in Bantay town, Ilocos Sur, had two sections washed away by the swelling, raging river, its water thickened with mud, during the onslaught of Typhoon Egay in northern Luzon on Wednesday. Among the worst hit by the typhoon, Ilocos Sur and neighboring Ilocos Norte have been declared under a state of calamity. —John Noel Andaya/CONTRIBUTOR