TS Urduja damage estimated at P124M

Damage wrought by Tropical Storm Urduja on crops and infrastructure in Cebu’s northern towns was initially at P124 million.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) identified the affected towns as San Remigio, Tudela, Poro, Catmon, Medellin, Tabogon, Compostela and Danao City.

“There are some areas nga naay damage to crops and even boats. We are still trying to assess the damage cost,” Provincial Board Member Celestino Martinez III said.

San Remigio incurred P4.8 million in damage to crops, while Tudela recorded damage to products at P533,000; Poro at P325,000; Compostela at P400,000; and Danao City at P200,000.

Rehabilitation of a road that collapsed located between Barangays Ilihan and Kal-ana in Tabogon is estimated to cost P113 million while repair for damaged roads in Barangays Panugnawan and Tinubdan in Medellin is projected to cost P5 million.

Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot said the cost to repair a 110-meter long road would reach P50 million.

“Although provincial road na, nationally funded man na ang concreting. I’ll ask Congressman (Benhur) Salimbangon to help us expedite the repair by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” he said in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

The Provincial Board approved the resolutions declaring the towns of Madridejos, Santa Fe, Bantayan, San Remigio, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Borbon, Tabogon, Sogod and Bogo City as under a state of calamity

“The reason why we are declaring the state of calamity was not just for Urduja, but to actually prepare the budget in case mosulod na to si Vinta,” Martinez, who also sponsored the resolution, said.

Vinta, which is still classified as a low pressure area, is expected to intensify into a tropical depression.

Board Member Sun Shimura said they have coordinated with PDRRMO to give relief packs to affected residents. “More or less ang mahatag ra gyud sa province kay kaning (what the province can only provide is) food packs para sa mga households,” he said.

Around 4,207 families from northern Cebu fled their homes last Thursday due to the overflowing of creeks and rivers, floods and warnings of storm surges. They already returned to their homes last Sunday.

Mayor Loot said the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) allocated 70 sacks of rice, 28 boxes of sardines and 21 boxes of noodles to over 600 families in Daanbantayan.

Cebu City

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will extend assistance to farmers in the city’s mountain barangays whose crops were destroyed by Tropical Storm Urduja.

CDRRMO chief Nagiel Bañacia said he hopes the seedlings, fertilizers and other farming equipment will be distributed on December 27.

The City Agriculture Office is in the process of finalizing the names of the farmers whose farmlands were severely affected by the heavy rains. He said farmer organizations in the upland barangays are also discussing the possibility of further assistance especially in Barangays Adlaon, Taptap, Sudlon I and II, Pungol Sibugay, Sirao, Bonbon and Lusaran.

“We had a meeting with the disaster council this morning (yesterday) and the products affected are bananas, tomatoes and eggplants,” he said.
Bañacia said the seedlings are the most important assistance that should be given immediately.

“It has not been tried before that we extend financial assistance. The victims of agricultural calamity, we only give them farm inputs,” he said.

Vinta

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) is closely monitoring the progress of Vinta, which is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) today.

“Mobalik siya sa pagka tropical depression inig sulod niya sa PAR , ug nagkataas usab ang chance nga mo-landfall (It will intensify into a tropical depression upon entering PAR, and chances that it would make landfall would increase),” he said.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Vinta with a speed of less than 30 kph, was spotted 1,290 km east of Mindanao and is expected to hit Cebu on Christmas day.

Bañacia said the disaster team is still on a state of preparedness and high alert. “We designated standby personnel in time (for Vinta). CCMC (Cebu City Medical Center), BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) and police are always on duty,” he said.