6 N. Luzon vital roads, two bridges still closed

By Freddie G. Lazaro

CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur — Six roads and two bridges were still closed to traffic as of press time in Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Highways officials identified these as Narvacan-Sulvec Secondary National Road in Barangay Bulanos, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; the San Emilio-Quirino Road in Ilocos Sur; the Garasgas Bridge along Manila North Road (MNR) between Batac City and San Nicholas, Ilocos Norte KM 277+150 road and cave-in concrete pavement and collapsed slope protection in La Union.

Others were the Magapit Suspension Bridge in Lallo, Cagayan; the Mt. Province-Calanan Road along the TangiligSining Section in Kalinga province; the Sabangan Bridge- Baguio-Bontoc Road along Sabangan Section; and the Baguio-Bontoc Road along Tiktik Section both in Mountain province.

This as damage wrought by Typhoon “Dindo” has reached P15.5 million in three provinces in the Ilocos region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said the agency’s latest update on the effects of the typhoon showed damage to infrastructure as of last week was P9 million in Ilocos Norte, P2.5 million in Ilocos Sur and P4 million in La Union.

Ramos said a total of 13 houses were partially damaged in Ilocos Norte due to flooding caused by Dindo.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the NDRRMC reported  affected families due to the typhoon were 4,836 or equivalent of 22,714 persons from the 72 barangays of the nine towns affected in Ilocos Norte; two towns in La Union and also in Bukidnon.

The NDRRMC said the biggest number of affected families was in Ilocos Norte with 4,291 or 20,114 persons.

In La Union, 280 families or 1,275 persons were adversely affected by the typhoon while and 265 other families or 1,325 persons were also affected in Bukidnon.

Ramos said a total worth of P332,791 from the combined resources of local government units, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office were already given as assistance to the victims of Dindo.