LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The province was declared under state of calamity due to the impact of typhoons Lawin and Karen causing almost a billion pesos worth of damages on agriculture, infrastructures, livestock and poultry.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan members unanimously approved and passed a resolution declaring the province under state of calamity on the request of Governor Crescencio Pacalso who chairs the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
Pacalso appeared before the SP on October 24 to request the declaration of state of calamity in order to extend the needed financial assistance and restore normalcy in the affected e towns and communities.
Super typhoon Lawin caused the temporary isolation of the municipalities of Bokod, Kabayan, Kibungan, Bakun, Buguias, Kibungan, and Mankayan and also caused power outage in the whole province, said Pacalso.
The latest partial official damages based on the consolidated reports of the PDRRMC already reached P867.695 million including damages incurred form typhoon Karen.
Six people died in the province, all due to landslides, namely Arsenio Lantaen, 65, of Bakun, who was killed in a landslide in Abatan, Buguias; 20 –day old Jhon Carlos Hatap, Joshua Hella, 19, Jessie Hella , 28, from Negros Oriental who were buried by landslide in Sagpat, Kibungan ; and Edgar Genese, 40, of San Fabian, Pangasinan and Jonie Borja, 35,from Damortis, La Union who were killed in Lamtang, Puguis here. Injured was Sean Paul Harrison, a two year old boy of Sapid, Mankayan.
The Office of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development recorded a total of 750 partially damaged houses and 65 totally damaged houses affecting 3,954 families or a total of 18,231 individuals.
In agriculture which affected 2,772 families, losses in crops and cutflowers amounted to P46.203 million and P21.024M worth of damages in agriculture facilities. For typhoon Karen, losses in crops totaled P24.710M and P4.358M for agri facilities.
Incurred damages in livestock and poultry totaled P3.977M while fisheries amounted to P351, 285.00.
For lifelines and infrastructure, damaged national roads and bridges amounted to P545.70M; provincial road networks, P26.5M; and municipal and barangay road networks, P305.566M.
Damages to waterworks system totaled P1.3M; communal irrigation system, P1.525M; National Irrigation Administration-CAR assisted irrigation system amounted to P5.545M; public buildings and facilities valued at P10.69M; flood control, P205.235M; footbridges/footpaths/foot trails with an aggregate amount of P9.937M and private properties amounting to P500,000.00.
These amounts may still increase with the continuing monitoring and assessment of damages across barangays and municipalities./JDP/SCA-PIA-CAR, Benguet
