Rehab awaited on MP P310-M road washouts, P96-M aggie damage, 648 houses wrecked

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC Mountain Province -- No casualty was recorded in the province due to Typhoon ‘Lawin’ but the super typhoon left P96 million worth of crops damaged and dead livestock; P310 million worth of damaged road systems, 648 houses destroyed with 31 totally wrecked,  four persons injured and residents who evacuated.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said damage to agriculture and road infrastructure was around P406 million.

Local government units and government agencies have yet to provide services due destruction of  facilities and economic  displacement especially in hardest hit agricultural  towns  of Paracelis  and Bauko incurring practically  78% of the total P96 million lost in agricultural damage.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan and provincial governor and PDRRMC chairman Bonifacio Lacwasan issued resolution declaring the province in state of calamity.

Lawin left the province isolated from the main Halsema Highway linking the Province to Baguio City due the damaged Sabangan bridge and the Samoki jumbo bridge serving access to Banaue and Ifugao leaving Kalinga- Bontoc road the only passable route for motorists to pass on for those who go to Baguio or Manila.

The Nakawang Besao -Tadian Road was eventually opened for light vehicles who find exit through the Tadian-Abatan-Mabaay road  to the Halsema Highway to Baguio.

The Taccong Sagada-Sabangan road supposed to be an alternative road to Baguio has since been unrepaired and impassable due to weak retaining walls  which eventually gave way from rains last week of May this year.  

Agriculture rehab plan

PDRRMC officer Edward Chumawar in an interview said consolidated disaster data shall be forwarded for the response of the Department of Agriculture for the P96 million damage lost in crops and livestock.

The PDRRMC  disaster recovery plan  noted rehabilitation fund  for year 2016-2017  for the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist  (OPAG) to allot P19 million  for seeds, fertilizers and hoses  and assistance to eroded farmlands.

PDRRMC’s rehab plan for the year identified the provincial  veterinary office to provide P5.2 million in livestock and poultry species, cattle/carabao shed per municipality and rice assistance to affected livestock raisers.

A total of P2.3 million worth of livestock heads either died or gone astray during the super typhoon with some of these floating along the Chico River.

Corn producing Paracelis,  the second most populated town registered  the highest loss amounting to P60.7 million damage cost on  corn, rice and assorted fruits in the  eastern part of the province  close to the Cagayan region where typhoon Lawin entered from the Pacific ocean.

The vegetable producing town of Bauko and the most populated town registered P15.8 million crop damage mostly in assorted vegetables, bananas and livestock.

Besao municipality suffered third in agricultural damage  at  P6.5 million damage mostly sugarcane and assorted vegetables, fisheries at P1.5 million losses and livestock at P450,000 loss. 

Besao produces quality muscovado from sugarcane.

Sabangan incurred P6.5 million loses in assorted vegetables, bananas, and livestock, infra at P28.8 million and damaged private houses at P1.1 million. Sabangan profusely grows banana plants.

Barlig with P5.4 million damage heavily incurred losses in coffee, rice and banana. Bontoc incurred losses in livestock and assorted fruits and rice worth P1.2 million.

Sadanga incurred heavy losses in fishery and livestock while Sagada  suffered  losses in coffee production and 55 houses wrecked.

Calamity fund of local government units compose 5% of the internal revenue allotment  (IRA) where 70% of the amount is allotted for disaster preparedness in the form of equipment and trainings and the 30% used for quick response expense.

Damaged houses and public structures

Data on damaged houses incurred by private households were forwarded to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Paracelis which was the hardest hit had 10 totally damaged houses and 212 partially damaged   dwellings. Natonin located near hardest hit Paracelis registered 103 partially damaged houses. 

Bauko mayor Abraham AKilit said DSWD personnel evaluated the damage done to the personal properties of affected households. Akilit said DSWD informed the mayor that the  agency shall be giving P5,000 assistance per household.

Most populated Bauko registered 148 houses damaged with seven totally wrecked houses.

In Bontoc, a newly built three story concrete structure erected on a land fill area near the embankment at the Chico River toppled down. Some onlookers say the commercial building had some of its contents including  gasul tanks floating downstream at the Chico river.

Affected Bontoc households with 88 individuals living near the Chico River and at the Riverside at Samoki were evacuated at the Multipurpose Hall, Pearl Café and in private houses. Members of the Provincial National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Municipal DRRMC and Provincial DRRMC and volunteer-responders were quick to bring evacuees to evacuation points before any untoward and calamitous loss could happen. 

In Besao, mayor Johnson Bantog said the DWSD personnel from the Region are evaluating the state of damage.  Typhoon effects in Besao noted a total  P22.2 million  damage cost  on infrastructure at P11.9 million, damaged schools worth 2.6 million  and the rest in agricultural loss.  

Partially damaged infrastructures are Agawa elementary school, Agawa national high school, Ambagiw day care center, Masameyeo public school, Tamboan elementary school, 54 private houses; and totally damaged Lacmaan kinder building and 10 rice granaries. 

In Sadanga, 14 rice granaries and the Sadanga Central School building were partially damaged. A total of 32 affected families evacuated to their relatives particularly barangays Poblacion, Demang, Saclit, and Sacasacan where all barangay halls were activated as operation centers.

In Tadian, 106 individuals living in landslide prone areas at Balaoa and Kayan evacuated early at public  buildings Kayan barangay hall and Kayan elementary school and to relatives' houses.  Fourteen houses were partially wrecked and a two- storey of the TEEP building roofing at barangay Lubon was totally damaged.

PDRRMC assistant  officer  Edward Padcayan said any untoward onslaught of the super typhoon had the people evacuating at an early time to prevent loss of lives.  The support of the municipal disaster risk and management councils with volunteers in  the 10 towns of the Province and the PDRRMC itself made it possible that there was no loss of lives. Four injured- two in Paracelis, one in Bontoc and one in  Tadian- were  timely responded to, are safe and in stable conditions Padcayan said.

In the capital town of Bontoc  where the PDRRMC is located, the Mountain Province Emergency Operation Center  dispatched emergency service assets  or responders who acted as  support  team to assist evacuees  before the heavy Lain downpour and  were mobilized for clearing of blown and fallen trees after the typhoon. With the support of the responders, evacuees were temporarily sheltered at the Multi-Purpose Building and returned to their residences the next day after the typhoon.

The swelling Chico River water level was monitored all times and all road exits. Ambulance and emergency vehicles were mobilized and pick-up vehicles and vans were deployed for hauling evacuees.

PDRRMC members and volunteers disseminated weather updates and conditions to council members and stakeholders through text messages, phone calls and social media; and in close contact with the MDRRMCs for any updates within their respective areas of responsibility.

PNP personnel were mobilized to haul the road clearing equipments and relief goods from DSWD-CAR.

Relief goods from DSWD contained each box consisting of  6 kilos  rice, 6 packs of 3 in 1 instant coffee, 8 canned goods were  distributed  to the 10 municipalities:  Sagada of 1,100  packs, Sabangan of 1,100 packs, Sadanga of 1,000 packs, Barlig of 1,100 packs,  Besao of 1,300  packs, Bontoc of 600 packs, Natonin of 1,500 packs, Paracelis of 1,125 packs, Bauko  of 700 packs and Tadian of 1,200 packs.

DSWD already released P1.2 billion as stand by funds to ensure that typhoon victims have enough food in the coming  days.

Road rehab plan

Landslides and road washouts were P199.5 million worth in damage  in 10 towns of the province with provincial roads closed to traffic for days. As of October 25, roads open to traffic are Tadian to Lubon, Sagada to Besao, Nangongan to Bangaan Sagada, Bontoc to Mainit, Mabaay to Abatan, Sabangan- Data to Bangnin,  Bontoc to Maligcong, Otukan to Bila, Sadsadan-Balicanao to  Salin, and Balicanao to Amam. The rest of the provincial roads are undergoing clearing operations.  

National  roads  incurred heavy loses  with  landslides with damage  amounting  to P110.7 million  with the Baguio to Bontoc road having incurred heaviest losses at P54 million. Clearing operations are ongoing and vehicles stop at Sabangan due to the destruction of the Nacagang- Sabangan bailey bridge preventing motorists and passengers to travel to Sagada, Besao or Bontoc and vice versa.

To  go to the other side of the river and vice versa, residents from the nearby towns of Sabangan,Tadian and Bauko and passengers along the  Halsema Highway pass through a footbridge at sitio Lagan, Sabangan or be ferried along the Bayudang River to the other side of the road with waiting rides for Bontoc and vice versa at P20.00 per ferry and a motorcycle carried  at P200.00 each.

PDRRMC identified a rehabilitation plan of P119 million  for provincial access roads to be handled by the Provincial Engineering Office for year 2016-2017.

Mountain Province  District Engineering Office (MPDEO) district engineer  Wilbur Likigan said all national roads are open except for the  Bontoc- Banaue  road and the Baguio-Bontoc road. 

Likigan said MPDEO  is currently  scouting for salvaged bridge materials from other provinces to replace the destroyed bailey bridge in Sabangan which is preventing access to and from Baguio City along the Bontoc- Baguio road.

Vertical displacement of the Chico River Bridge weakened due to dislocated support foundation with noticeable sagging of the left and right railings preventing  vehicles to pass coming from the Banaue- Bontoc road and vice versa.

The Junction Talubin-Barlig Natonin Paracelis Calaccad road incurred various landslides with P3.3 million damage and the Mountain Province -Ifugao road having incurred P1.1 million damage. The Barlig -Paracelis road is open. 

Mountain Province-Ilocos Sur via Tue road with a P30 million damage and Mountain Province- Ilocos Sur  via Kayan road with a P2.8 million damage are undergoing clearing operations.

PDRRMC  plans the repair and reconstruction of   various national access roads to be handled by the MPDEO with P110.7million for year 2016-2017; and flood control systems to be installed along the Chico River with an estimated cost of P73 million  also for year 2016-2017.

On a general note considering washed out roads and landslides in the Province, Padcayan recommends use and construction of sturdy materials  for road infrastructure including installation of strong retaining walls  in its program of work considering a mountainous terrain prone to landslides.

Meantime, Mountain Province Electric Cooperative general manager Nicodemus Andawi said  all town  centers are  energized including Tinglayan, Kalinga and  Cervantes Ilocos Sur. Seventy (70%) percent of the  total 144 barangays of the Province were restored of electricity supply.

Andawi  projected that all barangays  be fully energized by  third week November yet dependent on the repair of damaged road systems especially  along the Bontoc-Banaue and the Baguio -Bontoc roads  to carry through electric poles and transformers. MOPRECO  estimates a replacement  cost of P15 million to change damaged  wires and electric poles all over the Province.