P124M worth of infra, crops damaged due to ‘Ineng’

Lito Latona, tries his luck to catch fish at the Marikina River, August 22. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration issued rainfall warnings over 11 areas in Luzon including Metro Manila Saturday morning, with three Calabarzon provinces – Laguna, Cavite and Batangas – under orange rainfall category, meaning heavy rainfall with high threat of flooding, as a result of the southwest monsoon’s being enhanced by typhoon Ineng (international name Goni). NINO JESUS ORBETA

Typhoon “Ineng” has destroyed over P124 million worth of infrastructure and agricultural produce as it battered extreme northern Luzon over the weekend.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 197 houses were also damaged in the Ilocos, Cagayan and Cordillera regions from the typhoon’s onslaught.

In its latest update, the agency pegged damage to infrastructure at P121,480,000, while agricultural damage reached P3,338,483.33.

NDRRMC executive director Alexander Pama said they have been focusing rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the towns of Santa and Caoayan in Ilocos Sur, which were isolated after the collapse of a bridge there.

In particular, the barangay (villages) of Puro, Pantay-Tamurong and Villamar in Caoayan and Oribin, Dammay, Calumbuyan, Casiber, and Rancho in Santa were isolated due to the collapse of the Calumbuyan bailey bridge.

“We are concentrating on sending food and medicines there, which should have been done earlier but our helicopters can’t make it because of the foul weather. Our choppers will fly as soon as the weather clears,” Pama said in a briefing on Sunday in Camp Aguinaldo.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said 700 to 1,000 families were isolated in the two towns, located near the Abra River.

“We have directed the Philippine National Police to commandeer if needed the barges or sea vessels there to reach these isolated barangays,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pama expressed concern that houses in Santa and Caoayan might be washed out by the waters from the mountain regions of Ilocos and Abra.

“These islands in these two towns face not only floods, but also the washing out of their homes. This is why we are exerting all efforts to reach them and evacuate them,” the NDRRMC executive director said.

Ten people were reported dead in Ilocos Norte, Benguet and Mountain Province, while 10 were injured during “Ineng.” Three others remain missing.

A total of 7,470 families or 32,648 people were evacuated from the Ilocos, Cagayan, Cordillera and Calabarzon regions with P481,574.40 worth of relief goods distributed to affected residents.

Pama noted that most of the 119 affected towns in 19 provinces were flood and landslide-prone.

The NDRRMC recorded 34 landslides, floods, and other disaster incidents due to the typhoon.

Thirty-eight roads, six bridges, and one spillway were rendered impassable due to floods, landslides, and debris.

Local government units were able to issue preventive evacuation warnings although some units were only able to conduct real-time evacuations of affected residents.

Barangay tanods (village watchmen) went around to force residents in landslide-prone areas to leave but some families still refused to do so.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said 10,000 food packs in La Union have been sent to Santa and Kawayan, while the agency would load 50,000 food packs more onto Philippine Navy ships in Sangley Point, Cavite.

She pointed out that the typhoon’s effects and that of the southwest monsoon would be felt until Tuesday, hence the need for augmentation of relief goods.Julie M. Aurelio, Philippine Daily Inquirer