Pangasinan placed under state of calamity
IN WAKE OF JUAN’S FURY
LINGAYEN—The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has passed a resolution declaring the entire province of Pangasinan under the state of calamity two days after super typhoon Juan wreaked havoc in the province.
In a special session called by Vice Governor Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr. last Thursday, the resolution was approved shortly after the body heard the report on the extent of damages wrought by Typhoon ‘Juan’ from Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council executive officer Paterno Orduna.
The nine SP members present unanimously supported the measure presented by Majority Floor leader Von Mark Mendoza with minor amendments.
The Provincial Budget Officer also certified that the 5% calamity funds of the province was intact and could be availed of for the purpose.
Typhoon ‘Juan’ was tagged one of the worst calamities that struck the province in recent years after Typhoon ‘Cosme’ in 2007, the strongest typhoon yet that hit the province.
The SP members who voted for the declaration were Jeremy Rosario, Raul Sison, Ranjit Shahani, Mojamito Libunao, Clemente Arboleda, Generoso Tulagan Jr., Napoleon Fontelera Jr. and Teofilo Humilde Jr.
Absent were Board Members Angel Baniqued, Danilo Uy, Alfonso Bince Jr., Sangguniang Kabataan chairman Kazel Celeste, Liga ng mga Barangay federation president Amadeo Espino and Philippine Councilors League chapter president Salvador Perez.
The declaration will affect 44 towns and three cities of Pangasinan, except Dagupan, a chartered city.
In approving the measure, the SP took note of PDRRMC’s report that the damage to agriculture in Pangasinan alone had reached more than half a billion pesos.
Meanwhile, the PDRRMC reported 11 persons died from the typhoon as of Thursday, while seven suffered injuries.
One of the latest fatalities was Arsenia Robillos, 68, of Barangay Cayanga in San Fabian, who was electrocuted when a clothesline she was hanging clothes on to dry turned out to be electrically grounded.
Another was Denmark Camaong, 23, of Barangay Garita in Bani who drowned.
AS of last Wednesday, PDRRMC already reported nine fatalities.
The PDRRMC said ‘Juan’ affected 323 barangays in 33 towns and three cities of Pangasinan. At least 55,357 families or 258,844 persons suffered from the typhoon’s wrath; 279 houses were totally damaged while 1,633 others were partially damaged.
The typhoon damaged some P50 million of roads, bridges, public buildings, school buildings and other infrastructures.
Power was cut off in most parts of the province but was already restored three days later in all the towns and cities in the fourth, fifth and sixth districts.
Up till Thursday, only Sual and Alaminos City had power while eight towns in the first district were without.
In the second district, at least 90 percent of the municipalities already have power while all the municipalities in the third district have power supply, still 20 percent of the barangays there were without.
At the same time, 38 barangays in the province remain under water. These are in Bugallon, Mangatarem, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Bayambang, Malasiqui and Dagupan City.
All roads are now passable except in Mangin, Dagupan City and in Mancup and Malabago in Calasiao which are not passable to light vehicles.
Orduña said although the declaration will affect all municipalities and cities, there are local government units that had declared their towns under a state of calamity. #
30 BARABGAYS REMAIN SUBMERGED
Although rains have stopped three days after typhoon ‘Juan had exited, some 30 barangays in the province remain submerged in floodwaters at presstime.
Most affected are Dagupan, Calasiao and Sta. Barbara, all located along the Patalan-Sinocalan watershed that swells each time a typhoon hits Northern Luzon.
The Civil Defense in Region 1 identified the flooded barangays in the Dagupan, namely, Malued, Tapuac, Mayombo, Caranglaan, Bacayao Norte, Bacayao Sur, Herrero-Perez East, Mangin, Mamalingling and Tebeng.
The flooding in the city was partly caused by floodwaters from Calasiao and Sta. Barbara caused by the swelling of the Sinocalan River that flows from Mt. Ampucao in Tuba, Benguet.
Compounding the situation in the city is the 2-4 feet tidal water affecting barangays situated near rivers.
Flooding in the city caused forced the premature harvest of bangus from existing fish ponds and pens that caused the price of the fish drop to as low as P40 to P60 per kilo.
In Sta. Barbara, 10 barangays saw floodwater rise to waist-high just as it did in six barangays in Calasiao.
Seven barangays in Mangatarem experienced severe flooding due to water cascading from mountains in Tarlac. #
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