𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬; 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The road cut which transpired along Sitio Kechay, in Barangay Guina-ang, at around 4:00 P.M. of July 26, 2023, affected transportation of the villagers going to the Central Business District and displaced one family.

The road cut prompted the Langpawen family, consisting of Rudy Langpawen, Kimberly Langpawen, and their three minor children to make a difficult decision to demolish their concrete house to pave the way for the road expansion and has shown willingness to relocate to the house of Rudy’s father in Favrey, Guina-ang. While their house is being demolished and until they move to the new location, the family’s belongings are temporarily being stored in the house of a relative of Kimberly. 

Further, the road cut has isolated the communities of Mainit and Guina-ang, forcing residents to walk approximately 50 meters before transferring to a vehicle to reach the town proper. 

Following the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) conducted by a team led by Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Johanna Padaen and Chief of Police Pedro Tactay on July 31, 2023, immediate relief operations were promptly initiated.

Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., personally led the distribution of aid, including one plastic box of family kit and one set shelter kit from the Office of Civil Defense – Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) thru the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), five hygiene kits from Department of Health (DOH) -CAR thru the Provincial DOH Office, three sacks of 50kg rice, two sacks of 25 kg rice, two boxes of sleeping kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office (DSWD) – CAR, and 24 pieces of canned goods, four packs of oatmeal, and two family food packs from the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) thru the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).

Mayor Tudlong reiterated the importance of working together as a community to address challenges as such. He called for unity and cooperation to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents. Likewise, the mayor expressed gratitude to the various agencies and organizations for their support in the relief operations.

“We must work together as a community to address challenges like this. Unity and cooperation are crucial to ensuring the safety and well-being of all our residents. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the various agencies and organizations for their unwavering support in our relief operations. Together, we will overcome this obstacle and emerge stronger and more resilient community,” he said.

The Bontoc Emergency Operations Center (EOC) continues to monitor the situation and is committed to providing further assistance and support as needed until the road is repaired and situation in the affected areas return to normal.