A FARMER from Talete, Busoc, Barangay Poblacion, Atok, Benguet died after bamboos fell on his house due to strong winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon Ulysses Thursday morning, November 12, 2020.
The Atok Municipal Police Station (MPS) in a report said the victim was identified as Felix Menis Boguite, 60.
Police Captain Jayson Eugenio, Atok MPS chief, said the victim was cooking when several bamboos struck his house and suffered head and body injuries resulting in his death.
Road closure
Moderate to heavy rains brought by the typhoon resulted in the closure of several roads in Benguet, with three families evacuated in the town of Kabayan.
The three families, consisting of 10 individuals from Barangays Eddet and Ballay, sought shelter from their relatives and neighbors due to a possible landslide in their residence.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported the Sinisip to Ampusongan Road in Bakun, Benguet was temporarily closed on Thursday for the safety of the traveling public.
In Itogon, the road to Sitio Camanggaan in Barangay Ucab going to Dalupirip and Poblacion remains temporarily closed due to a landslide.
Motorists are advised to take alternate routes going to Barangay Poblacion that include Midas, Ucab road.
In an advisory, the Department of Public Works and Highways Benguet Field District Engineering Office on November 12 noted that Kennon Road will remain closed but open to residents only.
The Tawang-Ambiong Road in Sitio Riverside, Barangay Ambiong in La Trinidad remained one lane passable due to a road cut. Benguet-Nueva Vizcaya Road in Sitio Yapas, Bokod is closed due to fallen trees.
No electricity
As of Thursday evening, the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) has yet to restore electricity in Kapangan, Kibungan, Kabayan, Bokod, Tublay, Atok, Buguias and Mankayan due to system trouble at National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
Melma Batario, NGCP's regional communications and public affairs officer, said the La Trinidad-Sagada 69 kilovolt line with Mountain Province Electric Cooperative (Mopreco) and Beneco (Atok and Mankayan) Substations were affected.
Batario added the NGCP is working with Mopreco for the clearing of reported toppled trees and several landslides in the area.
Dam gates open
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Flood Forecasting and Warning System for Dam Operation disclosed Binga and Ambuklao Dams opened gates due to Ulysses.
Binga dam opened six gates at 4.0 while Ambuklao opened eight gates at six meters.
Ambuklao’s water level as of 8 a.m. had 751.42 meters while Binga’s water level is at 572.12.
Families evacuated
In Apayao, 184 families were evacuated due to possible landslides, according to Frankie Cortez, Office of the Civil Defense–Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD–CAR) information officer.
Cortez said 11 families with 47 individuals were evacuated in Calanasan, while 173 families or 559 individuals were evacuated to their relatives in Luna.
OCD–CAR also reported the Apayao-Ilocos Norte road, particularly along the Maduwang, Cabugao, Apayao, remains closed to traffic as clearing operations will resume once the weather permits.
The Apayao-Ilocos Norte Road along Tibagat, Cabugao, which is under a rehabilitation contract, will resume when weather permits with DPWH to soon release the identified alternate routes.
The Conner-Cabugao Road along Lutwakan, Tuleleng, Cabugao in Apayao was also closed due to mudflow while the Claveria-Calanasan-Cabugao Road, which was also closed due to soil collapse is undergoing clearing operations.
Another closed road in the region is the Tabuk-Banaue-Tanudan Road, while the Junction Talubin-Barlig-Natonin-Paraselis-Kalakad Road was opened.
Albert Mogol, OCD–CAR regional director and chairman of the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC), noted the low number of casualties in the region can be attributed to the heightened preparedness of all local government units in the region.
“We may attribute this to the heightened preparedness implemented by the local DRRMs. They have been prepared prior to the arrival of the typhoon and preemptive evacuation has been imposed,” Mogol said.
Mogol added a communications monitoring system was also established by the CDRRMC in delivering timely information coming from local DRRMs on their present situation to determine what particular assistance should be provided.