Landslide hits van, woman killed; families evacuated as Inday hits North Luzon

2 Pangasinan-Ilocos routes affected by road slides, erosion – DPWH

By Eileen P. Refuerzo and Liezle Basa Inigo 

BAGUIO CITY – A woman died while one was injured, with several landslides in the region closing roads  while floods  resulted to evacuation of families in Ifugao as Typhoon Inday struck Northern Luzon last week.   

This, as the Dept. of Public Works and Highways Region 1 reported Thursday that national roads between Ilocos and Pangasinan provinces are now passable to all types of vehicles except for certain road sections.

In Bontoc, Mountain Province, police and rescuers responded at the boundary of Barangay Bontoc Ili and Guina-ang  at Pinap-ayew, Guina-ang when a van was hit by a landslide that resulted to the death of a teacher and injury to another. 

Police said the incident happened around 7:10 a.m. on Wednesday. 

The driver identified as John Tay-og Peleo was unharmed but his wife Luisa Peleo died while Frauline Magwa, another female passenger was injured and rushed by concerned residents to Bontoc General Hospital for treatment where Peleo was declared dead on arrival.

Magwa and Peleo are teachers of Guinaang Elementary School.  

In Lamut, Ifugao, Barangay Bimpal was declared under state of calamity by local officials after 12 families were affected by flooding and evacuated but returned to their homes at press time. Disaster officials said a total of 17 families were affected in the region due to the storm. 

Sixteen barangays in Lamut (Bimpal, Nayon, Payawan, Lawig, Lucban, Pannopdopan,Hollowon, Umilag, Pieza, Mabatobato, Poblacion West, Poblacion East, Salamague, Pugol, Sanafe, and Hapid) were affected.

In Baguio three houses were partially damaged while three families, 15 individuals from Upper Market and one from Camp 7 were evacuated to safe areas in the neighborhood. 

Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Wednesday urged residents here to prepare for the typhoon season through ample actions to safeguard their lives and properties.

The mayor said the city engineering office has prioritized clearing of waterways in various parts of the city particularly the large drainages at the City Camp lagoon tunnel and San Roque drainage.

 He again advised residents living in landslide-prone and critical areas to exercise precaution, undertake remedial measures or preemptive evacuate before the calamity strikes.

In a hazard map of the City, 14 barangays were identified as prone to sinkholes and perilous during typhoons.  These are barangays Irisan, City Camp Central, Lower Rock Quarry, Pinget, Bakakeng Central, Dontogan, Sto. Tomas Proper, Asin, Dominican Mirador, Lourdes Subd. Ext., San Roque Village, Middle Quezon Hill, Quezon Hill Proper and Upper Quezon Hill.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council operations center will be on hand to respond to emergency situations.  Their hotlines are 442-1901, 1902, 1904 and 1905.

For the suspension of classes, the Department of Education rules remain in which classes in the kindergarten level will be suspended upon the lowering of storm signal number 1.  Storm signal number 2 would mean suspension of classes in kindergarten, elementary and high schools and signal number 3 would mean no classes in all levels. 

As to the announcement of class suspensions, the mayor will uphold his established practice of making the announcements at 5 a.m. after the first weather bulletin from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) usually through radio stations and other media outfits.

In Benguet, classes at Batanes Elementary School in Bakun among other schools were suspended even as a landslide each was reported in Atok and Tublay along the Halsema Highway.

Benguet also suspended small-scale mining activities in a memorandum by Gov. Crescencio Pacalso addressed to all municipal mayors.

All hiking, trekking, and other tourism activities were temporarily suspended due to bad weather at Mt Pulag and Mt. Purgatory in Bokod and Mt. Ulap in Itogon, all in Benguet.

Meanwhile, a landslide incident affected Piwong, Kayapa Road due to landslide. The road was temporarily closed at press time.

 The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council maintained blue alert status as of press time.

In Ilocos Region, the DPWH 1 said only one lane is passable to light vehicles along the Tagudin-Cervantes Road, specifically at km 339+450 located in Barangay Quinilaeon, Suyo, Ilocos Sur, because of rockslides.

But the DPWH-1 said heavy equipment were deployed to clear the rockslides.

Meanwhile, the Alaminos-Bolinao Road is not passable to all types of vehicles due to the eroded bridge detour approach. Motorists are advised to take the alternate road.

From Alaminos City, motorists were advised to take the Pangasinan-Zambales Road before km 302; turn left to Burgos-Agno Road; and turn left to Bani-Agno Road (exit at Bani town proper).

From Bolinao, Pangasinan, motorists were advised to take the Bani-Agno Road (enter the left side of Bani, Pangasinan town hall); turn left at the junction of the Burgos-Agno Road; and turn left at Pangasinan-Zambales Road.

“Personnel are now doing repairs on the damaged detour bridge,” a DPWH1 officer said.