Ifugao residents return to mud-covered homes, seek gov’t aid

Residents in Banaue, Ifugao return to their homes covered in mud after flash floods inundated their communities.

Houses with collapsed roofs and broken windows could be seen in the area, while roads remained muddy.

Authorities and residents were kept busy cleaning their homes and yards of the mud, some doing so with their bare hands.

According to Jasmin Gabriel Galban’s Monday report for GMA Regional TV Balitang Amianan on “24 Oras,” Lydia, one of the residents, recounted how they escaped as their house was destroyed during the flash floods.

“Tumalon kami doon sa baba. Sugat kami talaga kasi gumuho na yung (retaining wall),” she said.

(We jump over there. We were wounded because the retaining had collapsed.)

More than 1,000 families were affected by the flash floods in the Barangays of Amganad, Bocos, Gohang, Poblacion, Puwitan, San Fernando, Yuhaj, Tam-an, at View Point.

The estimate cost of damage to properties was over 5.3 million and around P48.8 million worth of damage in agriculture.

The province of Banaue has been declared under a state of calamity.

Banaue Mayor Joel Bungallon said relief operations are ongoing.

“Pinapa-evaluate ko po sa MSWD (Municipal Social Welfare and Development) yung programs ng assistance whether in-kind or financial assistance,” Bungallon said.

(I asked MSWD to evaluate the assistance programs whether in-kind or financial assistance.)

He said that power restoration and repair of the province’s water supply are also underway.

“We expect na matagal po ang electricity dahil marami pong poste ang natumba,” Bungallon said.

(We expect that power restoration will take longer because many electric post were destroyed.) -- Mel Matthew Doctor/BAP, GMA News