CLEARING OPERATION. Personnel of the La Union Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office conduct a clearing operation on the road obstruction brought by the effect of Typhoon Egay on Thursday (July 27, 2023). Typhoon Egay left an initial PHP1.07 million worth of damage mainly to agriculture in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union. (Photo courtesy of Province of La Union)
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – Typhoon Egay left an initial PHP1.07 million worth of damage mainly to agriculture in the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union as of Thursday.
La Union Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) officer Aureliano Rulloda III said in a report that the initial estimated cost of damage to agriculture in the province was PHP262,428.
“Of which PHP212,428 was incurred for fisheries and PHP50,000 was incurred in agri-infrastructure,” he said.
Most of the affected in fisheries were harvestable bangus (milkfish) while in agri-infrastructures were silted pond areas due to soil erosion at the watershed area, eroded slope protection, and damaged slope protection and canal ways.
Rulloda said there were 416 houses damaged, of which eight were totally damaged and 409 were partially destroyed.
A total of 244 families or 657 individuals are taking shelter in 25 evacuation centers in the different localities in the province due to flooding in their residences or damage to their houses, he said.
Thirteen road sections and one bridge were affected, of which two road sections are passable and one bridge and 11 roads are still not passable.
Rulloda said there were fallen trees, flooded areas, and landslide rain-induced reported in the province.
Meanwhile, Pangasinan initially incurred PHP538,050 worth of damage to agriculture and PHP270,600 damage to livestock, according to a report from the Pangasinan PDRRMO.
Pangasinan PDRRMO officer Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro said a total of eight municipalities were affected in the province while there were no further details yet on the damage to agriculture and livestock.
“A total of 248 families or 1,116 individuals were served inside and outside the evacuation centers,” he said.
A total of 16 houses were partially damaged and two were totally destroyed.
All roads are now passable in the province while one damaged hanging bridge was reported in Bani town.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) augmented 10,719 family food packs and 410 non-food items to the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur; while local government units, including those in Pangasinan, provided the initial relief goods to their constituents.
DSWD reported that some 86,520 family food packs and 29,290 non-food items are on standby in its warehouses in the entire region.
Typhoon Egay is now out of Philippine area of responsibility but its enhancement of the southwest monsoon brings rain in most parts of Pangasinan and La Union.(PNA)
