TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) chaired by Governor James Edubba will recommend to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to declare the province under a state of calamity in the wake of Tropical Storm Paeng.
During the council’s emergency meeting today, Edduba said a declaration of state of calamity is recommended as several municipalities including Pasil, Balbalan, Tanudan, Lubuagan and Tinglayan are currently inaccessible after roads were blocked by soil erosions and landslides.
Worst affected is the municipality of Tanudan, particularly the village of Lubo, to which road access have been blocked due to a landslide that also damaged the village’s water system, leaving residents without a source of potable water. Meanwhile, the Tanudan Municipal Hospital in sitio Banagao is currently without power.
If approved, the declaration of a state of calamity will allow the provincial government to tap into its calamity funds to respond to the immediate needs of affected areas.
In the meantime, the Governor said he will issue an order to the Lower and Upper Kalinga District Engineering Offices to hasten road clearing operations and will also order agencies to expedite the submission of their reports to assess the full extent of the damage in the province.
As of 8:00 AM today, October 31, some 62 families were affected, four houses totally damaged and 78 houses partially damaged due to Tropical Storm Paeng.
One casualty was recorded in Balbalan – an elderly man who went missing after falling into a ravine on October 29.
Initial damage to agriculture is estimated to be worth more or less Php 9.7 million. The cost is expected to increase once all reports from the local governments have been submitted.