Pangasinan placed under state of calamity

LINGAYEN, Philippines - Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr. has declared the province under state of calamity following typhoon Cosme, which battered the province and other parts of Luzon. Espino made the declaration Tuesday after assessing the damage left by storm “Cosme" The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) has reported an estimated loss of P1,381,555,000 in agriculture and aquaculture. It also reported that 4,967 houses were damaged while 9,551 were partially damaged. These are located in Lingayen, Bugallon, Laoac, Manaoag, San Manuel, Binalonan, Tayug and Dagupan City. PDCC Executive Officer Paterno Orduòa said about P794,854,000 worth of fruit bearing trees were destroyed by Cosme's strong winds; damage to crops (rice and corn) was pegged at P193,104,140; and P380,390,000 in fishery (fishpond and fish pen). According to Orduoa, the number of fatalities in the province has increased to 23. Most of the victims, said Orduòa, were hit with falling debris or tree branches. Four were drowned. The fatalities were identified as Lourdes Soriano, Cesario Basi and Remedios Paulo of Bugallon town; Nicanor Ferrer, Luigi Rosario, Pablo Cruz Sr., Pepe Molano and Cristituto Fernandez of Lingayen; siblings Miguel, Randyl and Rodyl Poserio of Dagupan City; Carlito Maganes and Elpidio Maoile of Infanta; Mario Quinto of Urdaneta City; Jose de Guzman, Pacita Aquino and Rogelio Austria of San Carlos City; Francisco Cuanan and Jesus Jaric of Infanta; Fidel Kulanag and Emerito Bustato of Sual; and Lilia Sumilla of Sta. Barbara. Accordingly, the Provincial Board (PB) will have a special session on Wednesday where representatives from three electric cooperatives in the province, National Transmission Corporation (Transco) and other utility companies are invited. The water elevation at San Roque Dam in San Manuel as of 11 a.m. Tuesday was at 251.93 meters above sea level. It was 28.07 meters below the 280 meters spilling level mark. In Dagupan City, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. has already declared the city under state of calamity. The Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp) reported to the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) that they could reconnect 20 percent of primary power lines in the central business district in seven to 10 days. There is no definite schedule yet for secondary lines and the rest of the city. As for telephone lines, except for the central business district, many areas in the city are still unserviceable due to dropped lines and downed poles of Decorp where most telephone cables are attached. Meanwhile, affected residents are lamenting the sudden increase in the prices of galvanized iron, coco lumber, nails, and candles. Some stores were reported to have run out of stocks of generators due to sudden demand. On the other hand, most of the equipment brought for repair at electrical shops are generators. – Sun.Star Pangasinan