LINGAYEN– Despite the flooding in some towns and cities, the provincial board did not deem it necessary to declare a state of calamity in the province since affected municipalities are empowered to declare a state of calamity on their own.

“Not all or majority of the towns have been badly affected,” said Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr. who made the clarification amid reports of severe flooding in a number of western and central Pangasinan.

He said only ten towns in the province were badly affected.

As of July 19, the PDRRMC reported that only the towns and cities of Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Alaminos City, Agno, San Fabian, Bolinao, and Asingan experienced flooding.

Mr. Calimlim also pointed out that every city and municipality is authorized to declare their town under state of calamity based on their own respective assessment.

“In different instances or different calamities, every town has its set rules in regard to the declaration of state of calamity,” the vice governor pointed out.

As of July 20, only the town of Bani, located in the western part of the province, has been declared under state of calamity by Mayor Gwen Yamamoto.

Nonetheless, Mr. Calimlim said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) delivered relief goods and dispatched rubber boats to Agno, following a distress call from the town mayor.

The PDRRMC reported that all national roads and other major thoroughfares remained passable to all types of vehicles except for the Padilla Bridge connecting Lingayen and Bugallon and the Sinocalan Bridge connecting Barangay Ventinilla and Maningding in Sta. Barbara which were closed to traffic due to on-going repair/rehabilitation. (Johanne Macob)

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