OCD: P4 billion in infra damaged by Crising, Habagat, LPA

Damage to infrastructure worth P4 billion was reported in the country due to the impact of Tropical Cyclone Crising, the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, and a low-pressure area (LPA), according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday.

“In terms of damages, meron pa tayong P4 billion worth of infrastructure damage as reported. Pero this is still subject to validation ng ating mga ahensya,” OCD officer-in-charge Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said in a virtual press briefing.

(In terms of damages, we still have P4 billion worth of infrastructure damage as reported. But this is still subject to validation by our agencies.)

“For agriculture naman, ang losses already amounts to P217.5 million pesos dahil apektado po ang ating corn, rice, and other high value crops na pananim dito sa ating bagyong ito,” he added.

(For agriculture, the losses already amount to 217.5 million pesos because our corn, rice, and other high-value crops are affected by this tropical cyclone.)

Alejandro said nearly 1.9 million people, or 533,213 families, were affected by the bad weather.

Of the affected population, around 25,000 families were staying in evacuation centers while 21,000 families were taking shelter in other places.

Infrastructure

In a statement, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, citing report from the DPWH Bureau of Maintenance, said the cost of damage brought by the weather disturbances stood at P3.75 billion.

Bonoan said the amount is still subject to field validation.

Broken down, the infrastructure damage comprises P483.69 million damage to national roads, P24.48 million national bridges, and P3.25 billion flood control structures in Ilocos Region, Region 3, 4B, 6, and Negros Island Region.

The Public Works chief said the DPWH’s Quick Response Teams have reopened 35 national road sections.

However, five national roads remain impassable —one in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), two in Region I, one in Region III, and one in Region IV-A— due to soil collapse and flooding.

The five impassable roads are as follows:

• Kennon Road, K0237+680, Camp 6, Tuba, Benguet
• Urdaneta Junction - Dagupan -Lingayen Road via Tarlac
  a) K0207+400 - K0208+09, Brgy. Carangalan-Mayombo, Dagupan (BPI Bank – Villaflor Hospital) 
  b) K0208+090 - K0208+900, Brgy. Mayombo, Dagupan (Villaflor flooding Hospital - Five Star Terminal Section) 
• Urdaneta Junction - Dagupan - Lingayen Road via Zambales 
  a) K0376+950 - K0377+100, Brgy. Lucao, (YMCA Section) Dagupan City, Pangasinan 
  b) K0377+100 - K0378+300, AB Fernandez-Burgos Street, Dagupan City, Pangasinan 
• Paniqui-Camiling-Wawa Rd, K0167+0800 to K0170+0100 Brgy. Sawat - Brgy. Bilad, Camiling, Tarlac'
• Talisay-Laurel-Agoncillo Road, Bugaan Detour, Laurel, Batangas

Moreover, 27 national road sections have limited access —one in CAR, one in NCR, one in Region I, 10 in Region III, 11 in Region IV-A, one in Region V, and two in Region IX— due to roadcut, flooding, precautionary measures, road slip, collapsed slope protection, and washed-out detour road.

Habagat, Crising

On July 16, a low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) developed into Tropical Depression Crising. On July 19, Crising intensified as a severe tropical storm and exited the PAR.

Despite Crising’s exit, Habagat continued to bring rains in some parts of the country.

Twelve people were reported dead due to the impact of Crising and Habagat, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Wednesday.

Most of the reported deaths were recorded in Calabarzon, with five. This was followed by Negros Island Region with three. One fatality was reported each in Metro Manila, Mimaropa, Northern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).

The victims died due to drowning and falling trees. 

Nine people were reported missing and seven others were reported injured.

The information from the PNP is up for validation by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). –NB, GMA Integrated News