BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) conducted aerial inspection to assess the extent of damages of super typhoon ‘Lawin’ in the Cordillera Administrative Region over the weekend.
On Saturday, CRDRRMC Chairman OCD-CAR Regional Director Alex Uy and DSWD-CAR Regional Director Janet Armas with some members of the media and thru the assistance of the Philippine Air Force made an aerial survey of the Cordillera provinces flying thru Baguio City, Benguet, Mountain Province, Kalinga and Apayao.
Aside from the damages in agriculture and infrastructure such as houses, roads and other properties, the team was also able to identify the areas which are isolated due to road cuts and landslides.
Hardest hit are the provinces of of Kalinga and Apayao where storm signal No. 5 was raised at the height of the typhoon. The group saw the isolated areas in upper Kalinga including the landslide affected areas where a family was buried by a landslide in in Uma, Lubuagan.
The team landed in Tabuk City, Kalinga and met with the Provincial DRRMC led by Gov. Jocel Baac and Vice Gov. James Edduba and discussed the needs of the province for its early rehabilitation and recovery. The group met Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol who was also visiting the area to assess the damages particularly on agricultural crops.
The team also landed in Luna, Apayao and met with Apayao PDRRMC Officer Vincent Talatag and Apayao Provincial Police Office Director Felix Dayag before flying to the affected areas in the lower Apayao and the upper Apayao where municipalities are still isolated.
Kalinga and Apayao officials earlier declared state of calamity in their respective provinces due to the extent of typhoon damages.
Uy said that with the data gathered from the different provinces, they will be meeting with the CRDRRMC members and other agencies to discuss the immediate needs and how it would be given to the affected areas in the provinces.
Another aerial survey is being set by the CRDRRMC for assessment of the provinces of Aba and Ifugao./JDP/ RMC- PIA CAR
