Habagat causes more damages in Ilocos Norte

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Laoag City—More government agencies and local government units have reported more damages from the week-long monsoon rains.

Department of Public Works and Highways second engineering district engineer Mathias Malenab said they have estimated at least PHP74 million national roads damages as of August 28, 2018.

The damages are on four parcels of roads in the Ilocos Norte-Apayao Road, particularly at Brgy. Maananteng in Solsona. DPWH pegged the damages for the said road at PHP67 million.

DPWH listed the damages as eroded road shoulders and slope collapse.

Other damaged roads were the Batac-Pinili Road at Brgy. Buanga in Pinili; and the Ilocos Norte-Abra Road at Brgy. Poblacion in Nueva Era. The said roads incurred eroded road shoulder, which the DPWH estimated at PHP5 million and PHP2 million, respectively.

A landslide also damaged the two lanes of the Pinili-Nueva Era Road at Brgy. Liliputen in Nueva Era. The DPWH has yet to estimate the cost of the damage.

Despite the damages, Mr. Malenab said all affected roads are passable to all types of vehicles. He said they immediately set out to make the road passable.

Batac City

In Batac City, Mayor Albert D. Chua said the continuous rain has affected the city which suffered flooding in the city’s low-lying areas.

“Isut rason a nalungtot dagitay dadduma a pagtatalunan ditoy Brgys. Baligat, Quiling Norte ken Baay a napakarwan nga addaan iti 40 to 50 hectares a totally damaged karaman dagiti nagdudima pay a kataltalunan,” Mr. Chua said.

He said that they estimated crop damages at up to PHP3 million and PHP500,000 for vegetables.

The city government also distributed relief goods to around 1,500 families.

“Nu man pay saan a nalayos dagiti addat poblacion, nagubbog met ti uneg iti bal-ballay da malaksid laeng iti Brgys. Ricarte, Valdez, Palpalicong, Ben-agan ken iti Sitio Bullilising a permi a napakarwan a barangay ta naglapyas iti Sta. Rosa Creek,” the Batac mayor added.

The provincial government also gave medical assistance and delivered around 300 relief goods to the city. 

Reports also showed that Batac incurred infrastructure damages. They have yet to report the estimated amount of damages.

The good news, according to Mr. Chua, is the on-going distribution of fertilizers to farmers which is now on its third batch which they can use after the crop damages.

Every registered farmer receives 1 bag of complete, 1 bag of urea and 2 bags of organic fertilizers from the city’s RA 7171 share, general fund and development fund with around P27 million worth of fertilizers.

The city government is also set to distribute post-harvest facilities “ken nakasagana payen a maibunong dagitay para second cropping tayo a tabako, bawang, sibuyas, lasona ken manga,” Mr. Chua announced.

Laoag City

In Laoag, City disaster risk reduction and management officer Dr. Melvin Manuel said the capital city incurred agricultural damages which he estimated at PHP2.3 million for cereals and PHP175,ooo for vegetables.

As for infrastructure, the city reported estimated damages of PHP5.5 million.

Of the 80 barangays in the city, the city social welfare and development office reports showed that the monsoon rains affected 49 barangays, and 1,258 families, or 6,713 persons.

The city government also reported one injured person and 16 families who they evacuated.

Vintar

In Vintar, Vice Mayor Amado Victor Rasimo said the municipality estimated infrastructure damages at PHP100 million. The rains damaged dikes and barangay roads.

They also estimated agriculture damages at PHP19 million, “ket saan pay a karaman dagitay naiyan-anud ti animals na ta agpapan kadagitoy ket adu paylang iti umay agrep-report a napukawan iti taraken na,” Mr. Rasimo said.

He believes Sitio Baldi at Brgy. Parparoroc suffered the biggest damage. He said the rains destroyed the barangay’s 140-meter flood control project and at least 80 meters of pavement.

He added that the rains also damaged a dike at Brgy. Bago, caused landslides at Brgys. Alsem, Lipay, Saricao and Dipilat.

The rains also destroyed the hanging bridges at Brgys. Cabangaran, Lipay and Lepanto/Bato in Isic-Isic; the local government however, reported that all hanging bridges are now passable except for Lepanto.

Mr. Rasimo said this is the biggest reported damages for the town in the last 10 years.

“Ta adu met iti maperperdi nukwa ngem saan a kastoy iti extent iti parikot iti Vintar nukwa,” he stressed.

In view of this, the vice mayor said they need to ask financial support from the national government to fix all the damages as the municipal government cannot do it by itself.