LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – The hands are tied.
Ifugao folks surely fought the wrath of super typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) at two fronts.
Eleven impoverished towns of Ifugao were battered by heavy rains and strong winds at the height of the typhoon. Hardest hit were Mayoyao, Aguinaldo and Asipulo. Hours after the onslaught, declaration of a state of calamity was done in Mayoyao. Aguinaldo and Asipulo followed the same route. Extensive damages in agriculture and infrastructure were reported in the three towns.
Among the first to report damage to agriculture was Hingyon municipal agriculture officer Martha Urbano. Her town was not spared from the typhoon.
Hungduan and Alfonso Lista also took the brunt of the typhoon. Alfonso Lista subsequently declared a state of calamity.
Typhoon Ompong’s damage to agriculture in the province is expected to soar to a high level. The volume of production loss, alone, in several towns was staggering.
All told, it shattered the dreams of a number of farmers coming no less than three months into the Christmas season in December. Poblacion East Punong Barangay Alfonso Dominong reported an incident involving a rice field in the village.
Independent sources of ZigZag Weekly disclosed damage to schools and dwellings in the first and second geographical districts of the province. For one, mountain farming town of Hungduan placed damage to dwellings at Php 257,450.
Blessed by nature and the smiling hospitality of its people, Mayoyao is visited annually by a number of local and foreign tourists. This time around, an unfriendly one visited it. As a result, Sangguniang Bayan Resolution 96 was issued.
Landslides also affected several roads in Mayoyao. Badly hit was a portion of the vital Poblacion-Balangbang road. The road links the two villages with the most number of people in Mayoyao. Restoration of the eroded shoulder and repair of wing wall is estimated at Php3 million.
Landslides also occurred along the Tulaed section of the Banaue-Mayoyao national road, Mayoyao-Aguinaldo road, Mayoyao Poblacion road going to the district hospital and farm-to-market roads at Junction-Alimit, Bukhe-Chapay, Bulhe-Iwaloy, Buminan, Alimit, Balangbang-Chumac, Guinihon, Mapawoy, Nalbu, Chaya and Liwo.
Residents were moved to shelters, civil defense Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) personnel Arianie Christie Atolba and Guadaliva Panitio said. Both were assigned to the augmentation team for the Ifugao PDRRMC-EDC.
Road slips and road washouts were also reported here and elsewhere.
Hundreds of fallen trees were reported to the ZigZag Weekly by barangay council officials in Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamit and Mayoyao.
In Mayoyao, Ompong’s strong winds toppled a number of primary electric poles, forcing the Ifugao Electric Cooperative (IFELCO) to shut down power throughout the town.
The ten other towns also lost power.
Classes in private and public schools at all levels in the Province were suspended. Work operations in privately-owned and government-operated were also disrupted.
At the height of the typhoon, this scribe went around Lagawe’s four main villages in the town proper. A sole barangay hall operated for the public.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office also prepositioned relief goods to the towns under public storm warning signals.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) was on alert to provide resource augmentation and assistance in disaster operations when necessary at all times. It is headed by officer-in-charge Dionisio Baguidudol.
The PDRRMO got able and strong assistance from other national agencies such as the Philippine Red Cross, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
So while Ifugao folks continue to agonize the day after the typhoon left the Philippines, the news that some Ifugao miners were trapped in the landslide in barangay Ucab in Itogon town in Benguet province were reported in the national media.
After leaving a trail of destruction in Ifugao, many residents are wondering why some other folks of the province are suffering elsewhere in the CAR. It is certainly another nightmare.
Suddenly, scores of kind-hearted and generous Ifugao folks in the province, Baguio City and other places in the region and the country have responded affirmatively to the call for help of the distressed miners. Prayers were also offered in churches and chapels.
The disaster tale in Ifugao (as well as in Benguet province) has brought the fascinating issue to the fore.
It is a time to protect the interest of the people. Follow the “preventive measures” the government is talking about. There can only be one direction, one crafted for the government and its agencies.
The recent typhoon Ompong devastation in northern Luzon is no trifling matter.
The scenes of destruction are enough to convince a thinking public that something has to be done about the quality of infrastructure the government delivers. Roads damaged, electric poles toppled, landslides erupted and lives are lost all because the province’s didn’t stand up to the system.
For what it’s worth in human lives, pre-emptive and forced evacuations can do wonders. Even a modest amount or preparedness goes a very, very long way in saving lives. It will be recalled that there were three casualties during typhoon Lando in Ifugao a few years back. The provincial government failed to declare a state of calamity. Not shocking, the province gained an atrocious reputation out of the ineptness of the officialdom.
Indeed, even during those times when inaction and lack of visibility of officials before, during or at the height and after the typhoon is apparent—the paradox of connecting it to electoral exercises appears. Thus, Ifugao voters should be on the lookout for candidates who promote a culture of readiness for disasters.
So what can Ifugao voters do as an enlightened citizenry? Don’t vote for a candidate who is not even knowledgeable of the words “evacuation” or “relief.” Vote for competent, intelligent and caring candidates. There is a prevailing belief among incredibly stupid folks that the mountains are out to protect Ifugao from a typhoon. How come roads in several upland towns were damaged? They should come up with a “historic vote,” a step toward fulfillment of the promise of “zero casualty” in a typhoon or any other calamity.
In a related development, former Governor Eugene Balitang underscored the need for the formation of a community-driven disaster preparedness, volunteer corps that can mobilize in 24 hours and be the first to arrive at the scene of a disaster to engage in relief work.
“Nothing is too small to make a difference, even for a remote barangay in Ifugao,” he said.
“If the spirit of volunteerism or ‘bayanihan,’ is downplayed by some quarters, it will exacerbate an already bad situation, and leave us worse off than before our attempts to save lives during critical or emergency situations,” Atty. Balitang added.
“Young Ifugao folks are willing to help for as long as there is an adequate training program for them,” he pointed out.
This necessitates heightened discussions among the young in school, Sangguniang Barangay and even barangay government circles. This is a great opportunity for young Ifugao men and women to really put their best foot forward to advance the cause of nation-building. **By Anthony A. Araos
