State of calamity up over 3 Luzon provinces
BY MARK MERUEÑAS, GMANews.TV
05/19/2008 | 06:05 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Due to the huge damage wrought by typhoon Cosme, the eastern Luzon provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, and Zambales have all been placed under a state of calamity on Monday.
In Pangasinan alone, the local disaster coordinating council said that 11 people had already been killed while damage to agriculture was pegged at around P1.3 billion, GMA’s Flash Report said.
Aside from the usual relief goods like food and medicine, the local government said they are in need of construction materials for the rebuilding of the damaged houses.
Over at La Union province, P700,000 worth of rice have been destroyed. Damage to corn plantations, meanwhile, were estimated to be P1 million and a much bigger P8 million were lost in the vegetable farming sector.
Cosme’s lashing of the agriculture sector has already driven up the prices of vegetables from northern Luzon.
Earlier, the entire province of Zambales has also been placed under a state of calamity, by virtue of a resolution signed by the provincial board.
Under a state of calamity, the provincial government of Zambales will be eligible to use its P10 million calamity fund.
A separate Flash Report quoting Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso said that power in almost all towns from Iba to Subic has already been brought back.
As of this posting, only four towns remain without electricity. Deloso said it would take a month at the very least to repair damaged power lines and restore power in the affected areas.
In response to the calamity, the Zambales provincial government said that 100 more sacks of rice that would be rationed off to affected families in Sta. Cruz town, a second class municipality believed to be the worst-hit among the provinces 13 towns.
Local officials also said that the incessant downpour and strong winds triggered by typhoon Cosme have already brought down houses, stripped off roofs, and even overturned a vessel docked near a coastline. No one was reportedly inside the ship when it capsized.
President Gloria Arroyo is set to visit the typhoon-torn province on Friday.
As Cosme moves farther away from the country, the typhoon was estimated to be 660 kilometers east northeast of Basco Batanes as of 2 p.m. Monday.
Cosme packed maximum winds of 100 kilometers per hour near the center and a gustiness of 130 kph. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV
In Pangasinan alone, the local disaster coordinating council said that 11 people had already been killed while damage to agriculture was pegged at around P1.3 billion, GMA’s Flash Report said.
Aside from the usual relief goods like food and medicine, the local government said they are in need of construction materials for the rebuilding of the damaged houses.
Over at La Union province, P700,000 worth of rice have been destroyed. Damage to corn plantations, meanwhile, were estimated to be P1 million and a much bigger P8 million were lost in the vegetable farming sector.
Cosme’s lashing of the agriculture sector has already driven up the prices of vegetables from northern Luzon.
Earlier, the entire province of Zambales has also been placed under a state of calamity, by virtue of a resolution signed by the provincial board.
Under a state of calamity, the provincial government of Zambales will be eligible to use its P10 million calamity fund.
A separate Flash Report quoting Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso said that power in almost all towns from Iba to Subic has already been brought back.
As of this posting, only four towns remain without electricity. Deloso said it would take a month at the very least to repair damaged power lines and restore power in the affected areas.
In response to the calamity, the Zambales provincial government said that 100 more sacks of rice that would be rationed off to affected families in Sta. Cruz town, a second class municipality believed to be the worst-hit among the provinces 13 towns.
Local officials also said that the incessant downpour and strong winds triggered by typhoon Cosme have already brought down houses, stripped off roofs, and even overturned a vessel docked near a coastline. No one was reportedly inside the ship when it capsized.
President Gloria Arroyo is set to visit the typhoon-torn province on Friday.
As Cosme moves farther away from the country, the typhoon was estimated to be 660 kilometers east northeast of Basco Batanes as of 2 p.m. Monday.
Cosme packed maximum winds of 100 kilometers per hour near the center and a gustiness of 130 kph. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV
