Pangasinan, Cagayan placed under state of calamity
LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN – The province of Pangasinan and Tuguegarao City, Cagayan were placed under a state of calamity late Tuesday afternoon yesterday due to the massive damage caused by typhoon “Lando.”
In an emergency session by the provincial board headed by Pangasinan Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Z. Calimlim Jr., it approved Provincial Resolution No. 1608-2015 declaring a state of calamity in the entire province.
The resolution states: “the Province of Pangasinan has suffered strong winds and heavy downpour brought about by Typhoon ‘Lando’ for almost three days from October 17-19, 2015.”
Elsehwere, eight more bodies were recovered in several provinces in Central Luzon while in La Union, damage to agriculture was initially placed at over 200 million.
Rehab, relief efforts The state of calamity is intended to start the rehabilitation of the damages caused by the typhoon and augment the relief operations in the province as well as alleviate the plight of displaced residents.
Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr., earlier said that pro-active response has been conducted in coordination with various line agencies to address the needs of residents reeling from the effects of ‘Lando’
Pangasinan was placed under public storm warning signal number 3 on October 18, which caused power outage all over the province due to toppled electrical posts.
Cagayan damage Provincial officials yesterday placed Cagayan under a state of calamity due to massive flooding in 18 towns and one city.
Cagayan Provincial Board Member Vilmer Viloria said that the state of calamity declaration was approved during their session in the morning.
Based on initial report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) today, Viloria said the partial estimated cost of damages to agriculture in the province is 208.073 million.
At least 53, 000 hectares of farmlands were either partially or totally damaged, affecting the livelihood of 38,529 farmers affected.
The Tuguegarao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meantime, said at least 34 barangays were flooded and displaced at least 7,500 families or 37, 000 individuals.
12 fatalities Twelve fatalities have been reported in the province as of noon time yesterday. Among the fatalities Mauro Nuerong (Brgy. Pampano, Mangatarem), Regina Sabangan (Brgy. Bongato East, Bayambang), Jan Kerby Capena (Brgy. Ilog Malino, Bolinao), Cristina Veloria, Sixto Veloria, Susana Cabana, and Trisha Cabana (all from Sitio Barukong in Bani).
Six other individuals sustained injuries directly related to the typhoon.
Substantial infra, agri damage Initial estimates on damage to infrastructure is at of 49.5 million while damage to agriculture is assessed at 10,872,112 as of Tuesday noon.
However, the offices of the Provincial Agriculturist and the Provincial Engineer said that the figures are expected to increase further once more reports from the field are received.
Dam status As of yesterday afternoon, the water level at San Roque Dam is at 284.18 meters above sea level (masl), or 4.18 meters above its spilling level, with an inflow of 1060 cubic meters per second (cms) of waters from the upstream and an outflow of 601.72 cms into the dam’s four spill gates opened at 0.5 meter each.
Evacuees
Meanwhile, a total of 2,329 families have been evacuated to some 41 evacuation centers located in some 14 hard-hit towns.
The towns with evacuees include Anda, Basista, Binmaley, Bolinao, Bugallon, Infanta, Mabini, Mangaldan, Lingayen, San Fabian, Sual, Manaoag, San Nicolas and Mangatarem.
Pangasinan access
All national roads as well as other major thoroughfares are now passable to all types of vehicles except for Padilla bridge connecting Lingayen and Bugallon which is closed due to rehabilitation/repair, Urdaneta-Brgy. Pinmaludpod-Calasiao (not passable to all vehicles) and Urdaneta-Brgy. InamatanManaoag (not passable to light vehicles).
8 more C. Luzon fatalities
Eight more individuals, including two farmers trying to rescue their carabaos, drowned at the height of typhoon Lando, a regional police report disclosed.
Farmers Mario Abesamis, 58, and Pedro Suarez , 65, were both found dead in Sitio Labney, Brgy. Pias and Brgy. Padolina, Gen. Tino, Nueva Ecija. Neighbors said the victims were swept away by strong currents.
In Sta. Cruz, Zambales, a young girl was rescued from raging flood waters although her grandmother drowned.
Two other Sta. Cruz residents, Edward Pinasen,23 and Estefanny Manila, 13 also perished after their residence was washed away by flood waters.
The other cadavers were recovered by rescue teams in Masinloc, Zambales, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and and Santa Maria, Bulacan.
La Union damage
Over in La Union, an estimated P214,337,380 worth of agricultural crops were destroyed, according to the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council yesterday.
Imelda Sannadan, La Union agriculture officer, reported that some 55.6 hectares of rice plants were totally damaged and 7,760 hectares were partially destroyed.
In the aquaculture sector, fishpond operators lost at least 23, 340, 380.00 worth of bangus and tilapia, due to massive flooding. (with reports from Erwin G. Beleo and Mar T. Supnad)