BY MARTIN A. SADONGDONG
More than 5,000 individuals were forced to leave their homes in at least three regions as rains dumped by tropical storm “Pepito” caused deep floods, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Wednesday.
Although there was no casualty reported, NDRRMC spokesperson Mark Timbal said 253 persons were brought to 13 evacuation centers in Central Luzon after fleeing their homes at the height of the typhoon’s onslaught that destroyed agricultural products.
The NDRRMC has yet to release the initial cause of damage by Pepito in the agriculture and infrastructure but Ubana estimated that at least 326 hectares of rice, seven hectares of vegetables, and several fish ponds were destroyed by the typhoon.
Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Casiano Monilla, deputy administrator for operations of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), said at a Laging Handa public briefing that a total of 342 families in Cagayan, Isabela, and Quirino provinces were affected by the typhoon in Cagayan Valley (Region 2).
Earlier, a total of 181 families or 645 persons were preemptively evacuated in the region.
In Calabarzon (Region 4A or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Monilla said 4,790 families were affected by the calamity.
He said the numbers are expected to go up after local DRRM offices start sending their reports.
Pepito made landfall over San Ildefonso peninsula in Casiguran, Aurora at around 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Initial information from the Aurora provincial DRRM office (PDRRMO) showed up to 174 families or 717 individuals were affected by the typhoon in the area.
“Medyo maaliwalas na po ngayon. Sa parteng Casiguran ay okay na po at sa parteng Dilasag. Ang nangyari lang po ay ‘yong mga kailugan ay natural lang na tumaas,” said Engr. Elson Egargue, head of Aurora PDRRMO, in a radio interview over dzMM.
In Pampanga, heavy rains submerged 20 barangays in Masantol and Macabebe towns while floods were also noted in Maharlika Highway Lopez town in Quezon province, Timbal said.
Lopez town mayor Rachel Ubana said a portion of Maharlika Highway in Barangays Canda Ibaba and Ilaya remained flooded as of noontime. The Talolong River also overflowed, causing floods in Barangay Poblacion.
The NDRRMC has yet to release the initial cause of damage by Pepito in the agriculture and infrastructure but Ubana estimated that at least 326 hectares of rice, seven hectares of vegetables, and several fish ponds were destroyed by the typhoon.
“In two weeks, mag-ha-harvest na po dapat ‘yong iba so and laki po ng damage sa agriculture po,” Ubana noted.
Citing ground reports from the Lopez municipal DRRMO, Ubana said a total of 4,870 individuals were evacuated in 25 barangays in the area.
Ubana expects that the number will increase once they receive reports from the other barangays. Lopez town has a total of 95 barangays.
Meanwhile, Timbal assured the public that safety measures were being observed in evacuation centers to prevent the transmission of coronavirus among the displaced persons.
