Bataan placed under state of calamity; infrastructure damage hits P542.7M

Bataan has been placed under a state of calamity due to damage caused by heavy rains from tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, as well as the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed the resolution on Thursday, saying the effects of the bad weather require the continued activation of local disaster response mechanisms and the deployment of available government resources.

According to the Bataan provincial government, more than 8,000 residents were displaced by the floods.

The provincial government estimated damage to agriculture at P56.53 million, while infrastructure damage was placed at P542.72 million.

At least 20 people were injured, but no deaths were reported, Vonne Aquino said in a report on “24 Oras.”

As the weather improved on Thursday, floodwaters slightly subsided in some parts of Hermosa, Bataan.

However, residents face a difficult recovery as the flooding severely affected their livelihoods.

Tricycle driver Ronaldo Mintal said he is slowly recovering from the financial impact of being unable to work for nearly three weeks due to persistent flooding.

More than 500,000 workers in Bataan were unable to report to work due to weeks of persistent rains, according to the provincial government.

Meanwhile, the proposed 54-kilometer coastal defense system is being studied as a possible long-term solution to flooding in Bataan.

The proposed system would include dikes, water pumping stations, floodgates, and water catchment or impounding facilities that could also be used to store water supplies. —VBL, GMA News