Massive flooding leaves Eastern Visayas with damage worth P515M

PETS TOO | Members of the Philippine Red Cross rescue not just humans, but also dogs affected by the massive flood that hit Catarman, Northern Samar, on Nov. 21, 2023. (Photo from the Philippine Red Cross in Northern Samar)

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — Days of heavy rain and flooding have caused over P515 million in damage to public infrastructure and agriculture in the three provinces on Samar Island, officials said.

The amount was expected to increase in the coming days when the reports from other affected towns had arrived, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DA recorded damages to agriculture products at P46.4 million, while the DPWH valued the destroyed roads and bridges at P469 million in separate reports released on Nov. 23 and Nov. 24, respectively.

Of the three Samar provinces, Northern Samar recorded the biggest damage to agriculture, particularly on palay, the DA said.

At least 1,909 farmers in the provinces of Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar were affected by the flooding amid heavy rains spawned by the low pressure area and shear line last week, with Northern Samar taking most of the brunt, accounting for 1,789 of the affected farmers, the DA said.

Bridges, roads

On the other hand, the amount of destroyed infrastructure—mostly roads and bridges—was valued at P215.5 million, while the cost of the damaged structures was placed at P253.9 million, with Northern Samar sustaining most of the destruction, said the DPWH regional director Edgar Tabacon in the report.

The DPWH’s maintenance division said P716.65 million would be needed for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of all damaged public infrastructure in Eastern Visayas.

Among those ruined were bridges located along the roads of Allen-Catarman, Catarman-Calbayog, Catarman-Laoang, San Roque, and Palapag—all in Northern Samar.

Also destroyed were flood control projects in Borongan City, the capital of Eastern Samar; and Calbayog City, Samar’s provincial capital.

Damage sustained by Catarman, the capital town of Northern Samar that was the worst-hit in the province with floodwater rising several meters that inundated homes on Nov. 21, did not only involve houses and other structures but also its shore protection project.

Floodwater has since subsided and the DPWH has cleared and reopened eight road sections in Northern Samar’s first and second districts, Samar’s first district, and Eastern Samar district, the agency said.

The DPWH’s Quick Response Teams have also cleared two national road sections in Northern Samar’s first district—the Bugko-Nenita-Mirador-Cagpanit-an De Maria-San Jose Road in Barangay Cagpanit-an, Mondragon; and the Imelda-Barangay La Trinidad Road in Bugko town—but they were only passable to motorcycles due to soil collapse and erosion.

The DPWH said the rest of the national road sections on the island are passable, although the Allen-Calbayog Road in San Isidro, Northern Samar is limited to light vehicles due to the damaged Palanit Bridge, requiring heavy vehicles to use the Catarman-Calbayog Road as an alternative route.

Aid for the victims

As aid poured into the affected areas, policemen from Samar were also able to raise P136,000 in a fund drive to help the flood victims in Northern Samar.

Police Col. Peter Limbauan, Samar provincial director, said that all 24 municipal and two city police offices, including the two mobile force units in the province, conducted a fund drive to help the flood victims.

Funds raised were used to procure relief-packed goods, which were distributed to Barangay Yacal P-3 in Catarman, he said.

“The people in the province of Samar are fortunate that they were not affected by the torrential rains, which flooded Northern Samar. Therefore, this is a good time to offer our support and care to our neighboring province,” Limbauan said in a statement on Saturday.

Last week, President Marcos instructed government agencies to immediately attend to the needs of victims of the massive flooding in Eastern Visayas amid heavy rains spawned by the low pressure area and shear line.

Data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development showed that at least 370,000 persons from 74,500 families sought shelter in the different evacuation centers in Northern Samar, while another 61,111 individuals from 16,456 families were displaced by the recent floods in Eastern Samar.

The massive flooding claimed the lives of four persons, all from Northern Samar.