The different disaster response clusters in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are on full alert, responding to emergencies as Typhoon Julian batters northern Philippines.
In a post on its official social media page, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the Apayao-Ilocos Norte road in Calanasan remains unpassable due to high water level along the detour road at the ongoing bridge construction project.
“Equipment is on standby to fix the detour once the water level subsides,” it said.
It also announced “punch-through operations are set to recommence today (Monday) as soon as the weather improves and conditions are safe.”
The agency also cautioned travelers of the slippery roads and the possibility of rocks and land slides in the mountainous terrains of the region.
The DPWH has pre-positioned heavy equipment aside from utilizing the assets of the local government units and private contractors to help clear roads of debris as a result of the heavy to intense rains and winds brought by the weather disturbance.
Based on the 5 p.m. bulletin of the state weather bureau, the provinces of Ifugao, Mountain Province, and Benguet in the Cordillera, among others remained under tropical cycle wind signal (TCWS) No. 1, while Apayao, Abra, and Kalinga are under signal no. 2.
To constantly ensure that no person will go hungry due to road closures and inability to travel, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-CAR said they have 64,313 family food packs on stockpile aside from 23,992 non-food items totaling PHP105,165,783.
There is also a PHP2.9 million standby fund that can be utilized in case there is a need for money to be used for humanitarian relief.
Maria Aplaten, regional director of the DSWD-CAR, in a message, said that among others, there are 8,730 relief packs for Apayao, 5,440 of which are pre-positioned with the local government units; 12,099 in Abra, 7,800 are with the local government units; and 7,615 in Kalinga, 900 in the custody of the local government units.
“The pre-positioned items with the LGUs are aimed at making them accessible to augment local resources especially during this time,” she said.
The un-prepositioned goods are in the DSWD-managed warehouses in the provinces that can also be accessed anytime, she said.
Aplaten said they continue to prepare relief packs at the DSWD warehouses to ensure readiness of supplies in case they are needed by the LGUs for distribution to their constituents.
Meanwhile, Baguio city mayor Benjamin Magalong, in a media interview on Monday, said the PAGASA projections of rain and wind due to Julian, made him suspend classes as well work in the city effective noontime.
He cautioned the residents to be aware of their surroundings as soil loosens due to continuous rain.
“Our evacuation centers in the barangays (villages), aside from the city government-run evacuation center, can accommodate people especially if they that feel they need to be in a safer place with the rains,” the mayor told reporters. (PNA)
