Nearly P1 billion in public infrastructure, including roads and bridges, were destroyed by the combined forces of Typhoon ‘Nika’ and Super Typhoon ‘Ofel’ due to floods, landslides and fallen debris to nine national roads in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) and Cagayan Valley.
In a statement, nine major roads on CAR and in Cagayan province remain impassable to all types of vehicles due to floods and debris from falling rocks.
Public works Secretary Manuel Bonoan said that manpower and equipment were currently mobilized in CAR to clear six road sections rendered impassable due to road slip, soil slides, soil collapse, and bridge collapse along the municipalities of Balbalan and Tanudan in Kalinga; Tinoc, Ifugao; and Calanasan, Apayao.
Undergoing clearing and repair operation were the following:
· Banaue-Hungduan-Benguet Boundary Road in Tukucan, Tinoc, Ifugao due to landslide;
· Lubuagan-Batong-Buhay Road, Batong-Buhay, Balatoc, Pasil, Kalinga due to debris flow;
· Jct Talubin-Barlig-Natonin-Paracelis-Calaccad Road, Tonglayan section, Natonin, Mountain Province due to soil collapse;
· Sampaguita-Warat-Suerte -Catarauan-Afusing Road (Afusing-TambanSection), Malalatan, Alcala, Cagayan due to flooding;
· Cagayan-Apayao Road, Itawes Overflow Bridge, Sta. Barbara, Piat, Cagayan due to scoured bridge approach.
In Cagayan Valley, a portion of Manila North Road along Sta. Praxedes, Cagayan, the Sanchez-Mira Bridge, and the Cabagan-Sta. Maria Overflow Bridge in Isabela are closed to all types of vehicles due to washed out middle pier, scoured embankment protection, series of landslide, and mudflow and high-water level.
The DPWH also reported that a total of 18 typhoon-affected roads had been cleared and reopened to the motoring public.
The DPWH Disaster and Incident Management Teams (DIMT) were also instructed to expedite the ongoing clearing of remaining impassable roads.
As of November 13, the DPWH-Bureau of Maintenance reported that three roads have reopened while more roads have also been closed in Kalinga Province due to soil collapse.
Still closed to vehicular traffic are the following roads:
· Mt. Province Bdry-Calanan-Pinukpuk-Abbut Road(Cagaluan-Calanan Sect), Dupag section and Bagumbayan section in Tabuk City, Kalinga due to soil collapse;
· Balbalan-Pinukpuk Road, Dao-angan, Balbalan, Kalinga due to soil collapse;
· Kalinga-Abra Road, Balenciagao Sur, Pasil, Kalinga due to soil collapse;
· Lubuagan-Batong-Buhay Road, Puapo, Dangtalan, Pasil, Kalinga due to soil/rock collapse;
· Mt. Prov-Ilocos Sur via Tue Road in Cabunagan, Tadian, Mountain Province due to soil collapse;
· Mt. Province-N Vizcaya Road, Talubin, Bontoc, Mountain Province due to soil collapse;
· Sagada-Besao-Quirino Road, Banguitan, Besao, Mountain Province due to soil collapse;
· Jct Talubin-Barlig-Natonin-Paracelis-Calaccad Road, Porag and Tonglayan sections, Natonin, Mountain Province due to soil collapse.
In Cagayan Valley, a major road in Nueva Vizcaya was also closed while four roads in Cagayan and Quirino were impassable to all types of vehicular traffic.
Bonoan also alerted the DPWH Disaster and Incident Management Teams (DIMT) of areas that are along the forecasted track of typhoon ‘Ofel,’ which is expected to make landfall by Thursday afternoon or evening, according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
A total of 4,855 manpower with 790 equipment have been prepositioned in CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Bicol to monitor the incoming typhoon and conduct necessary disaster risk reduction and response measures.
