President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said government agencies have ramped up road clearing operations and power restoration efforts in areas affected by Typhoon “Neneng.”
In a social media post, Mr. Marcos said electric lines are being restored in 13 municipalities in the Ilocos region and five provinces in Cagayan Valley.
The President added that road clearing continues in the 34 impassable sections while food packs have been delivered to families in 32 evacuation centers as well as other affected communities.
Earlier, Mr. Marcos said the government has deployed assets to assist in the rescue and relief operations.
Based on initial reports from the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), President Marcos said some 27,914 individuals have been affected in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Region, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Meanwhile, 1,192 families were pre-emptively evacuated, while 285 families are taking shelter at evacuation centers.
Typhoon Neneng made landfall in Cagayan on Sunday and has now exited the Philippine area of responsibility.
However, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said its trough continues to bring rains to Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur provinces.
Heavy rains brought by the typhoon fell across Cagayan, causing widespread flooding in the province. The floods had mostly receded by Monday, disaster officials said.
The NDRRMC said 59 areas in Cagayan Valley were flooded due to Neneng.
Some 6,260 families or 22,700 people were affected by the typhoon, it added.
At least 29 roads and 12 bridges were rendered impassable in Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley, the NDRRMC report showed. Some 22 areas in both regions also experienced power interruption.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday announced that its personnel and mobility assets have joined national and local social welfare development offices in distributing relief goods and assisting residents in Northern Luzon affected by Typhoon Neneng.
This included the distribution of 370 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) food packs by the Philippine Army’s 77th Infantry Battalion and other government agencies to the typhoon-affected families in the villages of Alba, San Miguel and Taytay in Baggao town in the province of Cagayan on Sunday.
“On the same day, the reservist volunteers of the 201st Cagayan Community Defense Center also assisted in transporting food packs in Aparri,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Jorry Baclor said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Marine Battalion Landing Team 10 also launched rescue operations in Santa Ana, Cagayan, with 38 individuals safely transported to the evacuation center.
Earlier, some 159 families from three barangays in Allacapan, Cagayan affected by Tropical Depression Maymay and Typhoon Neneng were given immediate assistance by the municipal social welfare and development office and the 17th Infantry Battalion.
The NDRRMC reported that 39 road sections and 13 bridges were affected by Neneng’s onslaught in Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley.
Around 28 cities and municipalities experienced power interruptions in Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley but six towns have already restored their electrical services.
Some 13 towns and cities in Ilocos Region and nine in Cagayan Valley are still waiting for power to return.
Twenty-five houses were reported damaged in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and the CAR.
The number includes 23 partially damaged and two totally damaged houses.
The NDRRMC has yet to report any casualties and damage related to the typhoon.
So far, the government has provided over P430,000 in assistance to affected families, the NDRRMC said.
According to state weather bureau PAGASA, Neneng exited the Philippine area of responsibility on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said at least two airports suffered “very minimal” damage due to Typhoon Neneng and normal operations continue.
Baguio Airport sustained minor damage to the administration building’s roof due to fallen branches of a pine tree, while Lingayen Airport’s ramp was flooded, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said.
He said heavy rains caused the flooding, but it immediately subsided.
Damage at the two airports is “very minimal,” and so normal operations continued, he said.
CAAP Area 1 manager Ronald Estabillo said airports in Laoag, Vigan, Baguio, and Rosales, Pangasinan have been experiencing light to moderate rains and winds until Monday.
No other damage in the buildings and facilities of those airports was recorded.
In other developments:
• PAGASA said it is seeking funding to build nine new weather stations for flood forecasting and early warning reports. PAGASA Deputy Administrator Nathaniel Servando said the nine stations will be built in Cagayan Valley, Region IV-A, and Western Visayas.
• The National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said the water level in Angat Dam and other reservoirs was still not at a “comfortable level” even after the rains brought by the recent storms. NWRB executive director Sevillo David Jr. said the water level in Angat Dam is at 189.54 meters, which is still not enough to secure water supply for Metro Manila households and farmers in Bulacan and Pampanga. David said Angat Dam should reach at least 212 meters by the end of the year to ensure that enough water supply will be provided to consumers during the dry season.