CALAMITY Urduja damages P123M in Cebu roads, crops

More than P123 million worth of infrastructure and agricultural products were destroyed in some towns and a city in northern Cebu during the onslaught of tropical storm Urduja.

This was based on the initial assessment by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

In an interview yesterday, PDRRMO head Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. said that the cost of the damage may increase as their assessment on Urduja’s effects is still ongoing.

Of the P123 million, Tribunalo said that P118 million represents damaged roads in Barangays Ilihan and Kal-anan in Tabogon; and Barangays Panugnawan and Tinubdan in Medellin.

In agriculture, damage to ba- nana plantations was reported in Catmon, Tudela, Poro, Danao City and Compostela.

In San Remigio, initial assessment revealed that the storm damaged P5 million in agriculture.

Following the declaration of the state of calamity in the affected local government units (LGU), Tribunalo said they will use the Capitol’s quick response fund to assist these communities.

The Provincial Government and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 already sent relief packs to the affected families.

The Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) is also preparing relief goods for those affected by Urduja.

Myra Tangsinco, PSWDO so- cial welfare sssistant, told SunStar Cebu that they have so far provided relief packs to the evacuees in Sogod.

Tansingco said they are waiting for the reports from other LGUs so they can release assistance.

“We are waiting for their final report because we can’t extend assistance if the report was only made verbally. We need proof that these are the areas affected by the storm,” she said.

The relief goods prepared by PSWDO contains five kilos of rice, four cans of sardines and three pieces of noodles per family.

The DSWD 7 also sent family food packs worth P3.7 million to Daanbantayan, Medellin, Madridejos, Pilar and Toledo City.

With Urduja exiting the coun- try yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa) is urging the public to prepare for another weather disturbance, which may make landfall in some parts of the Visayas and Mindanao.

The low-pressure area (LPA) spotted just outside the country may still develop into a tropical depression and, if it does, will be called Vinta.

In a TV Patrol Central Visayas report yesterday, Pag-asa Visayas chief Oscar Tabada said the LPA located 1,710 kilometers east of Mindanao.

But Tabada said there is a low chance that Vinta will follow Urduja’s path as it seems to be moving westward. /