MORE NEWS, CAGAYAN

Cagayan declared in state of calamity dueto storm devastation
By Armand Tamaray

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Cagayan province has been placed under a state of calamity owing to crop and infrastructure damages caused by Typhoon Karen which lashed through Northern Luzon.

In a resolution, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, in a special session last week called for by Gov. Alvaro Antonio for the purpose, declared a state of calamity throughout the province, noting massive devastation to life and property incurred by the typhoon.

“Damages to crops, livestock and property overwhelmingly compels a declaration of the entire province under a state of calamity to give way to immediate implementation of emergency measures and normalization procedures,” said the resolution dated Aug. 26.

Also, in the same resolution, the provincial board led by Vice Gov. Leonides Fausto approved the release of the province’s five percent calamity fund or an equivalent to P20 million for the implementation of emergency and relief schemes with priority efforts to be given to agriculture and social welfare.

The provincial disaster and calamity council said that the province lost at least P165 million worth of damage caused by the recent typhoon, of which 90 percent or around P164 million being damaged to agriculture, especially rice, corn, fishery and livestock.

Among the worst-hit areas were the province’s northern coastal towns where the eye of the typhoon passed through, which also claimed the lives of two residents in Santa Ana town as well as displaced more than 300 families in at least five towns here.

Buguey Mayor Ignacio Taruc said with the extent of damage to agriculture in his town, farmers would not be able to recover without outside assistance.


Search on for 8 missing boat passengers off Cagayan coast

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Search and rescue missions have been intensified to recover eight passengers who went missing off Cagayan waters while on board motorized bancas during the height of Typhoon Karen.

Reports said Coast Guard-Maritime police search and rescue personnel continued their search on the missing persons whose boats reportedly sank off the Calayan group of islands in this northernmost province where the eye of the recent typhoon passed through on Aug. 20.

Authorities identified the missing persons as Dennis Caraybe, Teofilo Capiz, Christopher Irece, Dexter Calapini and Ernie Payas, the boat captain of MV Saint Joseph which sank off Barangay Balatubat, Calayan town; and Nelson Bumgat, Alfredo Bumagat and Gil Manalo.

M/BCA Perpetual Help, also capsized off Barangay Camiguin in the same island town.
Authorities said they were still confirming information about another motorized boat registered as M/V AAA that also reportedy drifted in the same vicinity last week.

It was not known how many persons were on board the said boat.
The passenger-cum-fishing boats, one of them reportedly loaded with bags of copra and iron scrap, sailed at sea to ferry passengers and goods amid the stormy weather.

Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo said their commandant, Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, ordered additional deployment of search and rescue teams to help recover the missing persons. -- CL