RELIEF and rehabilitation operations were in full swing in Dagupan following the declaration of a state of calamity on October 25, allowed the city government to tap into reserved emergency funds.

The declaration sought by Mayor Belen Fernandez in the aftermath of Typhoon Kristine, was contained in a resolution, authored by all the 10 councilors present.

Records of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) showed that 21 barangays were affected by the storm surge spawned by the typhoon, while 10 other barangays were submerged due to the overflow of rivers and high tide.

CDRRM Officer Ronald de Guzman said the declaration enabled the city to mobilize its five percent calamity fund and the barangays to release their own calamity funds to assist affected residents and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure.

He told the SP that before the typhoon struck Dagupan, some 660 families or 2,020 persons were preemptively evacuated to 17 evacuation centers across the city.

On infrastructure, the baywalk built by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bonuan Binloc cracked due to strong waves from the Lingayen Gulf at the height of the typhoon.

Agricultural damage was estimated at P34 million covering crops and aquaculture. (Leonardo Micua)

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