‘Igme’ leaves P2M in damages in Ilocos region, CAR

MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon "Igme" (international codename: Fung-Wong) damaged some P2 million worth of agriculture products in the Ilocos Region and Cordillera Administrative Region, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Tuesday. In its 6 a.m. update, the NDCC said P1.8 million worth of crops, P6,000 worth of fisheries and P108,900 worth of livestocks were destroyed in the said regions during the onslaught of typhoon "Igme." The NDCC said CAR was most affected with damages pegged at P1.5 million, P1,494,875 of it were crops in the villages in the municipality of Lagangilang in Abra. The NDCC report said the number of affected families in 81 villages in 16 municipalities, two cities and three provinces in Ilocos region and CAR rose to 3,992 or 15,956 person. It said 97 families or 444 persons are presently in six evacuation centers, two in Ilocos Norte and four in Abra, while the other affected families sought shelter from the relatives and friends. Five houses in the villages of Aguet and Taping were totally damaged and a house in Subagan village partially damage, all in Abra, due to the swelling of Abra river. Another house in Quezon Hill village in Baguio City was partially damaged due to landslide. Disaster officials have earlier said that "Igme" claimed the lives of four people while five were reported missing and two others were reported hurt. The fatalities were identified as Dale Malaggay, 3; Ismael Gayban, 52; Anna Balweg, 12, all of Abra, and Loreto Biadad, 50, of Ilocos Norte. Those injured were Bilis Balweg and Danilo Prio while those reported missing were identified as Gemma Gonnawa Mallagay, Jimmy Biala, Edwin Montemayor, Erick dela Cruz and Roger Viloria. The NDCC said the three-year-old fatality died after being swept by raging waters while he was crossing the river with his mother who has yet to be located by authorities. It added that Biadad also died of drowning but no other details were provided. Gayban, on the other hand, was killed after getting buried in a landslide while Balweg succumbed after getting hit by a lighting. In its 5 a.m. advisory Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said typhoon "Igme" has made its landfall over the eastern coast of mainland China. The weather disturbance was located 660 kilometers north northwest of Basco, Batanes or 295 km west northwest of Taipei, Taiwan packed with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is moving north northwest at 15 kph. - GMANews.TV