AFTER TYPHOON “UWAN”

FOURTH District Board Member Marinor de Guzman has urged local governments to act swiftly in identifying safe relocation sites and for the Department of Education to fast-track repairs of storm-damaged schools, following the widespread destruction caused by Typhoon “Uwan.”

During the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s regular session on November 17, De Guzman stressed that the flooding and storm surge placed thousands of families in low-lying areas at severe risk. She said the repeated impact of natural disasters underscores the need for sustainable relocation zones to prevent further displacement and loss among vulnerable communities.

She explained that establishing these sites forms a key component of the province’s long-term disaster risk reduction and climate resiliency initiatives. “We encourage all LGUs in Pangasinan to identify, allocate, and develop safe relocation areas for families living in flood-prone, landslide-prone, and other high-risk zones,” De Guzman told the board.

After the approval of the first measure, De Guzman raised a second resolution focused on the extensive damage sustained by public schools. Initial reports from various divisions showed classrooms, grounds, and learning facilities either partially or totally destroyed, posing immediate hazards to students and teachers.

She called on DepEd to activate its Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Quick Response Fund mechanisms to accelerate repairs. The resolution, titled “A Resolution Requesting the Department of Education… to Prioritize the Repair and Rehabilitation of Public Schools Damaged by Typhoon Uwan in Pangasinan,” was unanimously approved. (Eva Visperas)