State of calamity declared in La Union and Vigan due to ‘Ompong’
MANILA, Philippines — Vigan City in Ilocos Sur and the entire province of La Union have been placed under state of calamity due to the damages brought by Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut).
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of La Union declared a state of calamity in the province on Monday. A copy of the resolution was released Tuesday.
The board members cited the damage to agriculture amounting to P934.9 million and infrastructures amounting to P983 million as the basis of the declaration, which puts in place price freezes on basic goods and releases emergency funds.
A total of 28,824 families or 111,947 individuals were affected by when “Ompong” tore through the province over the weekend.
Prior to the declaration, the towns of Luna and Bangar had been placed under state of calamity due to “Ompong.”
VThe city council of Vigan also placed the city known for its preserved examples of Spanish colonial towns under state of calamity after the damage in agriculture and infrastructure was pegged at P113.2 million.
Local governments in Cagayan, Isabela, Abra, Benguet and Ilocos Norte had earlier declared states of calamity in their areas.
The typhoon’s violent winds and heavy rains damaged many old houses in Vigan’s heritage core zone, a blow to the city’s tourism industry.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that “Ompong” has left at least P9.3 billion worth of agricultural damages in northern Luzon.
‘Ompong’ death toll has climbed to 81 and could hit triple digits, Office of Civil Defense chief Ricardo Jalad told AFP. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with a report from Agence France-Presse
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