(Photo courtesy of Police Regional Office-Cordillera)
MANILA – The Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc-Lagawe in Ifugao on Monday asked the faithful to help families and farmers affected by floods and landslides in Banaue last week.
Fr. Apolonio Dulawan, Social Action Center director of the vicariate, said aside from food, victims are also in need of construction materials after some houses were damaged due to landslides caused by continuous rains in Ifugao.
“The Bontoc Social Action Center team is now moving to Banaue, they are contacting all the BECs, the Basic Ecclesial Communities, to see their members or their neighbors who need help,” he said in an interview over Church-run Radio Veritas.
“But what we are looking at is maybe the long-range plan will help these farmers who have lost properties,” he added.
Based on the latest record, 465 rice farmers and 251 vegetable farmers of high-value crops were affected by the flooding.
Three houses were declared "totally damaged" and 1,044 houses were "partially damaged".
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the amount of damage caused by floods and landslides to agriculture has reached PHP40 million and the damage to infrastructure has reached PHP500 million.
On Thursday last week, parts of Ifugao, particularly the town of Banaue, experienced widespread flooding and landslides due to heavy monsoon rains. (PNA)
