State of calamity up in Dinagat after ‘Tino’

DEVASTATION Several houses and school buildings in Loreto town, Dinagat Islands, lost their roofs after Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) battered the province on Tuesday. The province is now under a state of calamity as the government hastens relief and rehabilitation efforts. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DINAGAT ISLANDS PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE

TANDAG CITY—The province of Dinagat Islands has been placed under a state of calamity after the devastation wrought by Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) as it pummeled through parts of Mindanao and the Visayas earlier this week.

Tino pounded Dinagat Islands with fierce winds and heavy rains that toppled power lines, cut off communication and destroyed infrastructure in several towns.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved Resolution No. 25-2666 in a special session on Wednesday based on the recommendation of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) led by Gov. Nilo Demerey Jr.

The declaration, which came after results of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) revealed extensive damage across several towns, allows the provincial government to tap calamity funds to hasten relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Tino, which unleashed powerful winds and torrential rains as it battered the island province, left 680 houses damaged in the towns of Libjo, Basilisa, San Jose, Dinagat and Cagdianao.

But the hardest hit by the typhoon were the towns of Loreto and Tubajon, according to the RDANA report.

In Loreto, the Cambinliw Bridge remains impassable while the Loreto District Hospital still relies entirely on generator sets as power supply has yet to be restored in the area.

The typhoon also damaged a large portion of the power plant of the National Power Corp. on Gibusong Island, cutting off power, communication and water supply in the Poblacion (town center) area.

Road-clearing operations are underway in Tubajon town, which sustained some P3.2-million worth of damage in infrastructure. Among the facilities destroyed by the typhoon was the town’s birthing center.

Power and communications remained unstable in the area and only four of nine barangays are connected to the local water district.

LIFE GOES ON A fisherman in a coastal village of Loreto in Dinagat Islands province, salvages what remains of his boat that was damaged after Typhoon “Tino” slammed parts of Mindanao and the Visayas on Tuesday. —PHOTO COURTESY OF DINAGAT ISLANDS PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE

Agri damage

Tino destroyed 90 percent of banana trees planted in the province, up to 10 percent of coconut trees, some 2 hectares of cassava plantations in Loreto and less than a hectare of hybrid corn and a hectare of cassava in Tubajon.

In Basilisa town, up to 70 percent of crops, livestock and vegetables were destroyed.

The PDRRMC had sought help to fast-track the restoration of power sources in the province, installation of alternative communication networks, and immediate repair of the Cambinliw wooden bridge.

It also identified as priority the distribution of food and nonfood relief to Gibusong Island, Loreto and other isolated areas affected by the typhoon; deployment of health and water, sanitation, and hygiene services, structural integrity assessments of critical facilities, augmentation of emergency operations center and the incident management team in Loreto; and the proper documentation and monitoring of aid distribution.

According to the Dinagat Island Electric Cooperative (Dielco), they have energized about 75 barangays in the province while their personnel were still trying to restore electricity in the remaining 25 villages.

Demerey assured residents that the provincial government had been working round the clock to carry out the RDANA recommendations and to accelerate rehabilitation efforts across affected communities.

“We are committed to restoring normalcy as soon as possible. The needs of our affected communities guide every action we take,” Demerey said.