malaysiangMALASIQUI: Heavy rainfall brought by the southwest monsoon (habagat) enhanced by Typhoon Carina left an initial PHP99.8 million damage to agriculture and infrastructure in Pangasinan, and affected around 12,637 families or 44,483 individuals in La Union.
In a phone interview on Friday, Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Emergency Operations Center Assistant Director Pia Flores said the initial cost of damage was pegged at PHP8.8 million for agriculture and PHP91 million for infrastructure.
Based on an 11 a.m. report Friday, damage to high-value commercial crops was at PHP4.3 million, while PHP1.9 million for palay.
Meanwhile, dilapidated asphalt pavement and spillways suffered the most damage among infrastructures.
Around 213 families or 824 individuals in Bani, Labrador, and Mangatarem towns, as well as the cities of Urdaneta and Alaminos, have been evacuated.
Flores said 46 villages in Dagupan City, and the towns of Lingayen, Mangatarem, San Jacinto, Bugallon,
San Fabian, Binmaley, and Aguilar are still submerged in 2 to 3-feet deep floods. Floods are highest in Mangatarem at 5 feet due to the overflowing of the Camiling River.
‘If the rain persists in the upstream in Benguet, it is possible that the water levels in the rivers will rise over the weekend,’ Flores said, adding that they are monitoring the river systems especially the Marusay and Sinucalan, which are at critical level and almost critical level, respectively.
She said no significant incidents or casualties have been reported as of posting.
La Union situation
Meanwhile, an 11 a.m. report from the La Union PDRRMO on Friday showed that around 12,637 families or 44,483 individuals from 165 villages in 17 towns in the province have been affected by the weather disturbance.
Some 220 families or 597 individuals are being served inside evacuation centers and 9,785 families or 36,575 individuals are being served outside evacuation centers.
The provincial government has distributed some 1,300 relief packs
in Luna town and 350 in Bangar town.
Aside from Luna and Bangar, the PDRRMO said other affected families are from Bacnotan, Balaoan, the city of San Fernando, San Juan and Sudipen (1st district), Agoo, Aringay, Bagulin, Bauang, Caba, Naguilian, Pugo, Rosario, Santo Tomas and Tubao (2nd district).
‘Majority of the mentioned municipalities were affected by flooding. Evacuees from Naguilian and Bagulin are due to landslides,’ it said.
Around 50 houses were damaged in the towns of Balaoan, Luna, San Juan, Agoo, Aringay, Bagulin, Bauang, Naguilian and Santo Tomas due to strong winds and fallen trees.
On Tuesday, an 11-year-old resident died after being hit by a fallen tree in Barangay Tammocalao, Bacnotan town.
Meanwhile, search and rescue or retrieval operations for a 64-year-old man from Barangay Halog East and a 48-year-old womam from Barangay Urayong in Bauang town are still ongoing.
Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III suspended classes at all levels, while La Union Governor Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-Dav
id suspended classes at all levels and work in all government offices on Friday.
Source: Philippines News Agency
