Situational Report:
Typhoon Pedring Typhoon Pedring (Nesat), entered in the Philippine Area of Responsibility on September 25, 2011 with Virac Catanduanes as entry point. It had maximum wind strength of 65 kph and gustiness of 80kph. It entered in the Cordillera region on Tuesday afternoon with a maximum strength of 120 kph and gustiness of 150 kph.
The Cordillera region was put under public storm signal #3. All classes at all levels and government offices were suspended; communications bogged down in Kalinga, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Abra and in some areas of Benguet hampering immediate data gathering and coordination.
To date power blackouts are still experienced in almost of the provinces. Series of landslide along the major roads within the region were also closely monitored with Mt. Province, Apayao and Ifugao greatly affected. Lagawe and other interior areas is still isolated in the province of Ifugao.. DSWD-CAR monitored 4 dead in Ifugao including 3 children due to fallen tree and landslide, 24 injured and 2 are missing in the region. Five families or 25 individuals are still inside two (2) evacuation centers in the towns of La Trinidad, Benguet and Hungduan, Ifugao. OCD-CAR report shows that 163 houses were partially damaged and 2 were totally damaged in the region.
The strong winds and heavy rainfall greatly damaged the lifeline of the people. It left great damages in agriculture such that in Kapangan, Tublay, and Kibungan which are Chayote producers aside from other vegetables ready for harvest, the plantations were blown off and the same is true in the rice producing areas of Lower Tabuk, Kalinga. The flowering and those ready for harvest this October were damaged aside from being submerged by the overflow of the Chico River.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has reported an initial/estimated damaged amounting to P 32,550,146.60 in agriculture. Aside from the rice and vegetables, corn producing areas were also affected. Aside from the strong winds and rain, flooding in low lying areas of Benguet such as La Trinidad, and Lowland Tabuk were observed. Vegetables, strawberries and palay have been submerged thus harvest is not expected.
With regards to Infrastructure, 4 infrastructures were destroyed due to Typhoon. An open gym of Natonin Mt. Province and the Burnay Bridge leading to Lagawe from Kiangan, Pinget Elementary School and another bridge in Lagawe (Dugong Bridge) is also destroyed as reported by our provincial partners in the area. In Abra 12 schools were partially damaged as shown by the OCD report. Road conditions: All major roads within the region are undergoing clearing operation due to landslide, though some of the roads are still not passable. The Halsema Highway is already open to traffic, while Lagawe and interior areas in Ifugao remains isolated.