Typhoon Bebeng brings over P11M damages to Ormoc

ORMOC CITY , Philippines  - A total of P11,504,410 in damages to crops and infrastructure has swept this city during the onslaught of typhoon Bebeng, according to a latest report released by community affairs officer Bienvenido Matiga, who was the designated Incident Command Officer by Mayor Eric Codilla at the time.

Of these damages, the agriculture sector incurred loses of over P4. 55 million in staple crops, while the engineering department reported damage and restoration costs for the city roads at P1 million and another P4.43 million for the barangay roads.

Matiga said that, based on the May report submitted by the City Agriculture Services Office, the vegetable sector was greatly affected because most of the crops were ready for harvest when the typhoon struck.

"At least one bodega of harvested crops was also flooded which compounded the production loss," he said.

The city engineering department reported that immediate rehabilitation and restoration of road structures and unpaved road surfaces would cost P1 million of the total budget, with the remaining money allocated for the restoration of two bridges and several roads in Barangay Labrador.

The modern waterworks system reported damages of more than P1.513 million, with the water intake structure main channel in Ahag Filtration Gallery incurring the biggest cost at P1.5 million. Services of the entire city proper and immediate barangays have been direly affected, and the main distribution line-100mm diameter and 42 meters long-was also washed out.

The report also disclosed that a total of 859 families were affected by the typhoon, but Matiga cautioned the public that the data might changed when the latest progress report will reach his office.

On the day of the flood, the city recorded a very high rainfall of 213 mm, compared to its average of 10 mm for the past two years.

A 500 mm rainfall was recorded in the killer flash flood of 1991. The latest flooding had similar characteristics with that of 1991, such as occurring during high tide, strong current and caused landslide. It was 1.8 meters high, and the rampaging waters from high elevation whacked the shores, particularly the low lying barangays along the coastal areas.