Two typhoons batter north, Central Luzon; 48,307 affected

Northern Luzon provinces started to pick up the pieces over the weekend after severe tropical storm “Egay’s” fury that caused floods, landslides, and power outages, but spared millions from death even as Typhoon Falcon ushered heavy rains.

Thunderstorms battered many parts of the north last week as Egay exited the landmass of Cagayan, forcing suspension of classes even as far down south as Cavite.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported a total of 48,307 persons or 11,751 families affected in Ilocos, Cordillera and Mimaropa on Wednesday.

Of the number, only 414 persons or 139 families were inside evacuation centers while 13,023 individuals or 3,230 families sought refuge in the houses of their relatives or friends.

A report from regional Welfare Cordillera office dated July 7 said 73 families comprising of 327 individuals were affected by Egay.

The  73 families include 45 families with 177 individuals from Cabetayan, Kabugao, Apayao and 18 families comprising of 90 person from Manag, Conner, Apayao.

A total of 95 houses were damaged in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Palawan and Benguet.

Egay also damaged P4.25 million worth of infrastructure in Cordillera. The cost of agriculture damage reached almost P1.3 million, while fisheries damage totaled P512,449.

No casualties were reported in Northern and Central Luzon, according to the  NDRRMC.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported restoring power transmission service to Balaoan, Bangar, Luna, Sudipen, and Santol, in La Union as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

NGCP media relations Officer Lilibeth Gaydowen said work continues to replace toppled poles on the Maragayap-Bulala 69kV line segment.

Department of Public Works and Highways Region 1 spokesperson Esperanza Tinaza said the Luna-Bangar Road was still impassable to all types of vehicle due to waist deep flood water and advised motorists to take alternate route via Balaoan-Luna Road and Bacnotan-Luna Road.

In San Fernando City, La Union, Vice Mayor Hermenegildo Dong Gualberto suspended classes on all levels due to continuous rains.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council also reported the evacuation of residents in the coastal barangays of Ilocos Norte and Sur, Catbangen and five barangays in the rural areas.

Supt. Marlon Paiste, Police Regional Office 1 spokesman, said preemptive measures undertaken by state agencies and citizens “greatly contributed to safer rescue operations and lesser number of victims” in the region.

His office reported at least six civilians and one policeman hurt during a rescue operation in San Fernando City, La Union at the height of Typhoon Egay.

In La Union, Gov. Manuel Ortega declared a state of calamity as the provincial disaster risk reduction and management council reported more than 14,000 people affected by flooding in most parts of the province.

The PDRRMC also reported 70 houses destroyed by storm surges in Aringay town and the loss of power supply in Balaoan, Luna, Sudipen, Bangar and Santol towns.

Local Government Sec. Manuel Roxas II, along with Social Welfare Sec. Corazon Soliman and Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, distributed relief goods to the affected residents Tuesday.

As of Wednesday,  the Department of Social Welfare and Development tallied a total of 11,751 families or 48,307 persons affected by the storm. It also reported the release of more than P800,000 worth of relief goods to augment the dwindling supplies in several localities.

Classes were also suspended in all of Ilocos Norte, said Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council secretary Pedro Agcoili as his people assessed the damage to infrastructure, crops and livestock caused by the storm.

Some areas of the first district of Ilocos Norte have also experienced a power outage due to damage to the 69 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines of the Northwind Power Corporation located in Burgos town.

Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson also suspended classes on all levels Tuesday in his province as massive clearing operations of debris along major roads were underway.

Clarence Ducusin, the spokesperson of the Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative (ISECO), confirmed power has been restored.

Tropical storm Egay (international name Linfa) left the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday morning with another typhoon entering the country Tuesday night, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Rene Paciente, chief of PAGASA’s marine meteorological services section, said the new cyclone with international name Chan-hom (locally named Falcon) did not hit landmass.

But, just like Egay, it enhanced southwest monsoon with heavy rains over Northern and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, Paciente said Falcon enhanced the southwest monsoon, which would bring moderate to heavy rains over parts of Northern and Central Luzon this weekend.

Light to moderate rains, he added, started to affect Wednesday Northern and Central Luzon, particularly Zambales, Bataan and Pangasinan. Moderate to heavy rains would also prevail in the three provinces on Friday and Saturday. –With reports from LiezleBasaInigo and Freddie G. Lazaro