Farmers, fisherfolk suffer P1-B in losses
OMPONG WREAKS HAVOC
LINGAYEN— Super Typhoon “Ompong” wreaked havoc the most on the lives of farmers and fishermen in Pangasinan when initial estimate of damage to agriculture reached more than P1 billion as of 9 A.M. of September 21.
A Situational Report of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed the biggest losses were on agriculture which posted a damage of P1.2 billion in 31 towns and cities.
Meanwhile, damage to provincial infrastructures, which do not include those built and maintained by the Department of Public Works and Highways, National Irrigation Administration and other national government agencies, was already estimated to reach P52.8 million.
In agriculture, the biggest damage was on rice planted in 41,316.41 hectares of land in 36 towns and cities that resulted in net loss of 56,983 bags valued at P1.157 million.
Then, there were a total of 282,484 hectares of fishponds and fish cages that were affected in 10 towns and cities, that resulted in losses estimated to amount to P16.8 million.
Lost in fisheries were 47,125 kilos of marketable and juvenile sizes of fish and another 1,048,000 pieces of fry and fingerlings.
The Cayanga Bridge in San Fabian, one of the biggest bridges damaged, was promptly closed for a day when its southern approach collapsed due to rampaging floodwaters from upstream. It was temporarily reopened when the DPWH backfilled its scoured southern approach, eventually restoring normal traffic from San Fabian to Dagupan and vice versa.
The damaged infrastructures were provincial roads, P22.4 million; provincial bridges, P9.025 million; and provincial buildings and other facilities, P1.3 million, barangay roads, P 1,075,000; barangay bridge, P200.000; flood control, P18.2 million; barangay/school buildings, P260,000; and other facilities, P335,000 or P52.8 million.
DPWH’s 1st, 2nd , 3rd and 4th engineering districts have not finalized their assessment of the damages on all national roads, bridges and other infrastructures in Pangasinan.
Meanwhile, the PDRRMO reported a total of 2,286 houses damaged in 26 towns.
‘Ompong’ prompted the preemptive voluntary evacuation of 2,165 families comprising of 7,054 persons to designated evacuations centers, schools, churches and barangay halls. As of September 21, there were still 81 barangays in eight towns and two cities under water, some by an average of three feet. (Leonardo Micua/Nora Dominguez)
66 barangays still under water
LINGAYEN–As of 3:00pm of September 21, pockets in 66 barangays in seven towns and one city of Pangasinan remain under water by an average of one foot as a result of rains dumped by Super Typhoon “Ompong” and to some, water released from the San Roque dam.
A report from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) showed that the flood in all other areas of Pangasinan has already subsided, except portions of 14 barangays of Bautista, nine in Bayambang; one in Binmaley; nine in Calasiao; 24 in Dagupan City; one in Alcala; five in Urbiztondo and seven in Mangatarem.
Bautista, Bayambang, Alcala, Urbiztondo and Mangatarem towns were affected
by the release of water from the San Roque dam at the height of “Ompong”.
PDRRMO attributed the flood in seven barangays of Mangatarem, from two to four feet, to water from the swollen Agno River where San Roque dam released its excess water.
Calasiao, Dagupan City and Binmaley were affected by the swelling of the Sinocalan River in Sta. Barbara. Dagupan was also affected by water that came from Cayanga River in San Fabian as well as from the flooding in Mangaldan and San Jacinto.
The report stated that most of the 1,029 families or 3,927 individuals evacuated to different evacuation centers, before the onslaught of “Ompong” already returned to their respective homes.
The Regional Evacuation Center in Calasiao still hosts 10 families or 45 persons while five evacuation centers in Bayambang, (Manambong Parte, Pantol, Manaongbong Sur, Bongayo West and Warding) are still on; and 19 evacuation centers in Dagupan still host 758 families or 2,949 person. (Leonardo Micua)
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