The province of Zambales has declared a state of calamity after sustaining more than P591.98 million in damage to agriculture and infrastructure from the combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon, or habagat, and tropical cyclones ‘Luis’ and ‘Maymay’ in the past two weeks.
Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. told BusinessMirror the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution declaring the state of calamity on Wednesday, August 19, upon the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
The PDRRMC said heavy habagat rains whipped up by the recent typhoons caused widespread flooding, landslides, soil erosion, disruption of transportation, and damages to houses, agriculture, and critical and lifeline infrastructure, including river dikes and flood-control structures. The disaster also caused the displacement of 5,770 families composed of 17,317 persons, as well as the isolation of residents of Barangay Sta. Fe in San Marcelino town when the bridge connecting the upland barangay was swept away by strong river currents, the council noted.
According to consolidated reports from the Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), the province sustained more than 22.71 million in damage in agriculture.
The agricultural damages include losses of P11.21 million in rice crops, P8.7 million in corn and other high-value crops, P1.1 million in livestock, P1.39 million in fisheries, P1.34 million in agricultural infrastructure, and P61,500 in farm equipment and machinery.
PDRRMO head Rolex Estella also said that a total of 256 houses were partially damaged while 32 were totally destroyed during heavy rains from the typhoon-induced habagat.
Most of the damaged houses were in Subic town, with 154 showing partial damage and 10 completely wrecked.
Heavy infra losses
Damage to government infrastructure, meanwhile, reached a staggering total of P569.26 million.
In particular, seven sections of river dikes along the Bucao River in Botolan, Zambales, which channels lahar deposits downstream from Mount Pinatubo, were totally destroyed, the Zambales 1st Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways reported.
With a total length of 2,931 linear meters, the destroyed sections cost a total of P293.1 million while total rehabilitation would cost an estimated P728.14 million, the DPWH said.
Six other slope protection projects in the towns of Masinloc, Cabangan, and Botolan were totally damaged, with losses totaling P390.21 million and repair estimated at P966.24 million.
In Subic and San Marcelino towns down south, four river revetment projects collapsed, incurring total damage of P96.85 million, with estimated rehabilitation cost totaling P114 million, the DPWH 2nd Engineering District said.
The PDRRMC said the magnitude and geographic spread of the weather impacts indicated a need for provincial-level intervention.
‘[As] the province continues to experience weather-related threats and the potential for further flooding and landslides, [there is a need for] sustained emergency preparedness, response and recovery operations,’ the council added.
The PDRRMC said the declaration of a state of calamity will strengthen coordination of response, recovery and rehabilitation measures, and enable government offices and local government units to take necessary actions to protect life and property, restore basic services, provide assistance to affected communities, and implement appropriate recovery and rehabilitation programs.