WRATH OF EGAY. An aerial photo of Typhoon Egay's damage in coastal Calayan town in Cagayan province taken on Monday (July 31, 2023). The provincial government has earmarked a PHP52-million fund for rehabilitation and relief operations after Cagayan was placed under a state of calamity. (Photo courtesy of Cagayan PIO)
TUGUEGARAO CITY – Officials of Cagayan province have earmarked a PHP52-million fund following the declaration of a state of calamity on Monday, days after its 26 towns and a city were pummeled by Typhoon Egay, Governor Manuel Mamba told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday.
The provincial board members led by Vice Governor Melvin Vargas on Monday unanimously approved the recommendation of the governor to allow immediate disaster rehabilitation and relief operations for the 27,940 families, or 93,237 affected individuals.
No one died in Cagayan during Egay's onslaught but 20 were injured while four Philippine Coast Guard rescuers are still missing.
"With the declaration of the state of calamity, we will fast-track the distribution of relief or assistance for them," Mamba said.
Citing disaster response data, the provincial board said the typhoon's damage to agriculture in the province was pegged at PHP465 million, mostly on corn (PHP289 million) and rice (PHP38 million).
Damage to infrastructure was pegged at PHP862.3 million and livestock at PHP1.5 million.
Damaged houses include 83 totally wrecked and 1,542 partially destroyed.
Cagayan province’s hardest-hit towns include Sanchez Mira, Aparri, Sta. Ana, Abulug, Calayan and Sta. Teresita.
On Saturday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. granted a PHP15-million typhoon relief aid to the province while PHP3 million was given to each of the six towns.
The other towns that also suffered the typhoon’s brunt were Iguig, Lasam, Ballesteros, Enrile, Tuao, Camalaniugan, Abulug, Allacapan and Pamplona.
At the town level, two local government units have declared a state of calamity status —Sanchez Mira and Calayan where farmers and fishers have been the most affected due to destroyed farm crops and fishing boats.
At the regional level, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported PHP774.24-million agro-fishery damage.
The highest damage was incurred by Cagayan with PHP419.59 million, followed by Isabela with PHP226.06 million; Nueva Vizcaya with PHP111.14 million; and Quirino, PHP17.45 million.
Heavily damaged in Cagayan Valley region was agriculture at PHP539.442 million; livestock at PHP1.05 million; and infrastructure at PHP862.3 million.
The regional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported losses of PHP340 million in agriculture and PHP1.15 billion in infrastructure, respectively. (PNA)
