LINGAYEN—Typhoon Labuyo, the strongest to hit the country so far this year, caused P68 million worth of damages in Pangasinan but the rains it brought were a welcome relief for many farmers of rain-fed land.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported that most of the damages were on public infrastructures estimated at P42.3 million, including washed out provincial roads due to floods million and damaged barangay road dikes.

Damage to agriculture was placed by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPag) at P26.4 million.

These include palay, P12.3 million; high value commercial crops, P5.4 million; and fisheries, P8.7 million.

At the same time, OPAg said the rainfall brought by the typhoon actually helped water farms that were starting to dry up due to the lower-than-expected rainfall this rainy season.

“So far, the continuous rain brought about by Typhoon Labuyo is generally considered beneficial to all stages of crops in all municipalities and cities in the province,” said Avenix Arenas, PDRRMC spokesperson on August 13.

The Provincial Health Office (PHO), while on red alert for dengue and water-borne diseases, also considered the typhoon as a blessing as it helped wash out breeding places of dengue-carrier mosquitoes.

Dr. Ana de Guzman, head of the PHO, expressed relief that only one casualty was reported and said that her unit is now closely monitoring impact of water-borne diseases.

1 CASUALTY

The typhoon took one casualty in Bugallon and one person from Sta. Barbara remains missing.

The lone fatality was identified as Geronimo Lacson, 64, of Barangay Samat, Bugallon, who reportedly banged his head when he slipped on a wet floor in his house at the height of the typhoon.

Still missing is Aristotle Rivo Pescano, Jr., 18, of Maticmatic, Sta. Barbara who got separated from his three companions while swimming in the swollen Sinocalan River in the afternoon of Aug. 12, the day the typhoon hit the province.

A Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) team is still conducting search and retrieval operations for Pescano at presstime.

The PDRRMC reported that at least 3,107 families or 15,553 individuals in 43 low-lying barangays in the towns of Bolinao, Infanta, Mabini, Bugallon, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Sison, Asingan, San Nicolas, Tayug, San Quintin and Urdaneta City were affected.

At least 947 were rescued and brought to various evacuation centers.

The twenty-five fishermen from Infanta and Bolinao who were reported as missing last August 11 were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard.

The water level at the San Roque Dam surged but did not breach the spilling level mark of 280 meters above sea level.

DAGUPAN

Dagupan City, a flood-prone area due to its low elevation and proximity to the sea, suffered minimal flooding in some areas, highest at about five inches, and no damages were reported.

Ronaldo C. De Guzman, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), said his team was already on alert, deploying personnel and vehicles in flood vulnerable areas three days before the typhoon hit the province on August 12.

The city government plans to organize a series of lectures, seminars and workshops in the barangay to teach families on how to prepare for calamities such as earthquakes and floods.

“Rescue operations will be more efficient if the families are prepared,” he said.—with reports from Johanne  R. Macob, PIA1-Pangasinan/VHS and CIO

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