Landslide, heavy rains isolate Adams residents

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Adams, Ilocos Norte—Due to torrential rains and landslide affecting some parts of Ilocos Norte, residents in the upland town of Adams, Ilocos Norte are now completely isolated, said a report from the Adams’ Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC).

In a telephone interview with Ernesto Manegdeg, Adams municipal planning and development officer, said on Sept. 19 that heavy rainfall since Thursday evening [Sept. 18] has caused landslide in some parts of the on-going road construction leading to the mountainous part of the municipality passing through the Bolo River.

“Since this morning, no four-wheel vehicle can pass though the road going to Adams. As of the moment, we will be deploying members of the MDRRMC later this afternoon to check on the landslides caused by heavy rainfall since last night,” Mr. Manegdeg said.

At that time, tropical storm “Mario” has intensified into a typhoon and was heading towards Northern Luzon with maximum winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100kph, a weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) said.

Ilocos Norte was put on typhoon signal warning no. 2 as moderate to heavy rains fell over the province and classes in both primary and secondary schools were suspended on Sept. 19.

Search and rescue teams from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coastguard have been stationed in strategic places of Ilocos Norte while heavy equipment and rubber boats were already prepositioned near flood-prone areas of Paoay, Batac, Solsona and Dingras.

In Bacarra town, a resiliency drill facilitated by the Provincial Resiliency Task Force was successfully conducted on the morning of Sept. 19 in the coastal barangays of Natba and Casilian. During heavy rainfall, these villages were often isolated when the Bislak River of nearby Vintar town overflows.

Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, who personally supervised the drill urged local residents there to evacuate as soon as possible if needed.

Meanwhile, Batac City Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta said the City and Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils were placed on red alert status also on Sept. 19, as all team leaders were advised to report at the City Hall command center. All red plate vehicles were put on standby at the Batac City Hall compound ready to be used by the search and rescue teams should there be a need to evacuate residents in flood-prone areas of Batac.