Cagayan in state of calamity

TUGUEGARAO CITY – This country’s northernmost Cagayan province has been placed under a state of calamity owing to the degree of crop and infrastructure damages caused by last week’s typhoon Karen which lashed through Northern Luzon.

In a two-page resolution unanimously passed yesterday, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, in a special session called for by Gov. Alvaro Antonio for said purpose, declared a state of calamity throughout the province, noting the massive devastation to life and property incurred by the typhoon.

“Damages to crops, livestock and property overwhelmingly compels a declaration of the entire province under a state of calamity to give way to immediate implementation of emergency measures and normalization procedures,” said the resolution dated Aug. 26.

Also, in the same resolution, the provincial board led by Vice Gov. Leonides Fausto approved the release of the province’s five percent calamity fund or an equivalent to P20 million for the implementation of emergency and relief schemes with priority efforts to be given to agriculture and social welfare.

The provincial disaster and calamity council said that the province lost at least P165 million worth of damage caused by the recent typhoon, of which 90 percent or around P164 million being damaged to agriculture, especially rice, corn, fishery and livestock.

Among the worst-hit areas were the province’s northern coastal towns where the eye of the typhoon passed through, which also claimed the lives of two residents in Santa Ana town as well as displaced more than 300 families in at least five towns here.

Buguey Mayor Ignacio Taruc said that with the extent of damage to agriculture in his town, farmers would not be able to recover without outside assistance.