KALINGA Governor Jocel Baac is appealing for continued help as the province recovers from Super Typhoon "Lawin".
Baac said equipment to clear roads in three isolated municipalities is the immediate need as well as more rice to be distributed as relief to storm ravaged iKalinga’s.
The province has reported a multimillion agriculture damage amounting to P134,066,212.54, representing losses in rice at 104,183,560 corn at 10,413,654.54 and high value crops worth P19,468,998.
Baac said roads leading to Pasil, Balbalan and Pinukpuk remain closed, cutting off residents from receiving continued aid.
The governor added the 100 sacks of rice purchased by the provincial government were distributed on Sunday via chopper.
Barangays Balatoc, Batong Buhay, Colayo in Pasil; Upper, Lower and Western Uma in Lubuagan; Pantikian, Buaya, Tawang and Mabaca in Balbalan were given 10 sacks of rice each.
The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) and the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CRDRRMC) reports there are 663 totally damaged homes in the province with 3,773 needing partial repairs.
“The evacuees have all gone back to their homes or have stayed with relatives,” Baac said.
Latest reports show there are 480 totally damaged houses in Rizal town and 1,699 partially damaged, Lubuagan with seven totally damaged houses and 7,576 needing partial repairs, Pasil with a lone house totally damaged and 58 partially damaged, Pinukpuk with 114 totally damaged and 1,178 partially ruined, Tabuk City with 50 totally damaged and 105 needing partial repairs, Balbalan with three totally damaged homes and 102 partially damaged and Tinglayan with eight totally damaged and 55 partially wrecked homes.
The entire province is still under a massive power blackout with telecommunication lines likewise down, cutting the province off the grid.
Residents who have vehicles have to drive to the Kalinga - Isabela boundary, 33 kilometers from Dagupan to be able to call and text to the area where there is cellular phone signal.
In the area, Lilibeth Gaydowen of the Nationa Grid Corporation reported 192 damaged poles (105 leaning and 87 toppled) including other line defects, restoration activities are on schedule, with the Aviation Group and 11 line crews from other areas augmenting the manpower in Cagayan.
Gaydowen said the Tuguegarao-Cabagan and Tuguegarao-Solana 69kV line segments servicing ISELCO II's Cabagan and parts of CAGELCO I are estimated to be re-energized today, 24 October.
Gaydowen said target completion of line repairs servicing CAGELCO II and KAELCO is on October 29 and 31, respectively.
“But this does not mean that they will have electricity by this time, it is the part of the electric cooperative to provide them power,” Gaydowen added.
Kalinga Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office (PDRRMO), Tabuk City Hall and its City Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office (CDRRMO) was able to use Smart Satellite Phone as a means of communication and sending reports while ongoing network restoration. Smart Libreng Tawag is stationed at the PDRRMO Command Center Office near Tabuk Old Provincial Hospital.
Baac said generator sets have been purchased and now energize the City Hall of Tabuk as well as major hospitals.
Damages to agriculture in the region meanwhile has reached P390,027,737.16 million with Abra reporting P23,866,400 crop damages while Apayao with P91,642,262.14.
Benguet meanwhile reported P4,151,032.93 crop damages, P46,511,991.35 in Ifugao and P25,378,838.20 in Mountain Province.
Cordillera also incurred damage in fisheries amounting to 6,472,426.80 with Abra having P762,550 while Apayao has P1,805. In Benguet, the damages reach P1,053,203, with Ifugao at P3,011,882.80, Kalinga at P1,601,736 and Mountain Province at P41,250.
At least 15 were reported to have perished in the region, four injured and one still missing with 66,518 families or 307,305 individuals affected by the typhoon overall.