THE province of Apayao has declared a state of calamity due to the effects of Typhoon Quiel.
In a special session held November 8, members of the Apayao board presided by Vice Governor Remy Albano unanimously approved Resolution 56, declaring the province under a state of calamity.
The resolution was transmitted to the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC).
During a meeting of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) at the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) on Monday, November 11, six casualties were reported in Kabugao, Apayao.
Of the six, three died, including a Provincial Board member, and three were injured due to two landslide incidents in the province.
A total of 4,058 families or 15,560 persons were affected in 62 barangays in all seven municipalities of Apayao.
Some 163 families or 828 individuals are currently being served in the 11 evacuation centers, while 242 families or 936 individuals evacuated to their friends and relatives.
At least 42 houses were affected: 19 destroyed and 23 damaged. At least 219 families or 819 individuals were preemptively evacuated in the different municipalities of the province due to heavy rains with evacuees displaced to evacuation centers.
Some 22 national and provincial road sections in the province are currently closed to traffic.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development Cordillera field offices and Regional Resource Operations Center have stockpiles and standby funds amounting to P33 million and composed of family food packs and other food items, non-food items available in local government unit warehouses.
A total of P1.08 million has been provided by the DSWD field offices to Apayao.
Retired Commodore Albert Mogol, CDRRMC chairman and OCD-Cordillera director, said an aerial inspection of the province of Apayao is set to be done November 12 and 13 to assess the damage caused by the Typhoon Quiel.