Benguet vegetable traders lose due to NLEx gridlock
BAGUIO CITY—Benguet farmers and vegetable truckers raced against the clock to sell mountain-grown produce that can spoil within a day, after monsoon floods along major highways turned the usual five-hour trip to Metro Manila into an ordeal of road gridlock lasting up to 12 hours.
The delays along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) forced Benguet traders to miss their schedules at Divisoria wholesale market in Manila, with some losing buyers from Mindoro provinces and Bicol region who already left by the time the trucks arrived in the past days.
Lorna Menzi, adviser of the League of Associations at the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Area Inc., said traders told her they were unable to sell all their vegetables, mostly cabbage, because of the delays.
“The continuous rains already hasten spoilage of vegetables. Getting stuck for hours on the road worsens risk of spoilage,” Menzi said.
The losses came as the vegetable supply at the La Trinidad trading post began to decline because travel through Benguet mountain roads were also hampered by continuing monsoon rains and landslides.
The prolonged delay meant Benguet traders missed the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. selling window in Divisoria.
The problem continued on the return trip to Benguet, with truckers also missing the 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. buying window at the La Trinidad vegetable trading post.
Rudy Bulawan, president of the Benguet Truckers and Traders Association, said each 10-wheel truck carries about 20,000 kilos of assorted vegetables, all of which must be disposed of immediately because of their highly perishable nature.
These trucks could pass through floodwaters that reached roughly the height of their wheels. But smaller vehicles that could not cross became stranded, preventing the trucks from moving.
The disruption was already affecting deliveries scheduled on Wednesday. Bulawan said only about 15 of the usual 25 trucks left for Divisoria as orders declined. Truckers had to combine orders to save on fuel expenses.
Vegetable traders have yet to release official reports of their losses but they often impose a P5 per kilo markup on produce sold in Divisoria, Bulawan said.
But with 10 truck trips called off, this means lost sales for some 200,000 kilos of vegetables. At P5 markup, that translates to P1 million in lost income for traders.
Situation eases
But President Marcos on Wednesday said traffic slowdown due to floods along the northbound section of NLEx in San Simon, Pampanga, has now eased, with motorists taking 45 minutes to drive past the flooded section. (See related story on Page A5)
He visited Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales provinces to inspect damage from the recent floods and heavy rains.
Mr. Marcos said pumping out floodwaters on the southbound lane of NLEx in San Simon has not been efficient as the Tulaoc section of the Pampanga River continued to overflow. He saw the need to build a temporary catchment of floodwaters on this side of NLEx.
Earlier in Tarlac City, the President inspected the construction of a bailey bridge to restore access after the Aug. 29 collapse of the 136-meter Agana Bridge following heavy rains and strong current in Tarlac River.
Together with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Mr. Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to fast track the construction of the alternate bridge and said the government would provide P300 million worth of assistance to the Tarlac City government for its rehabilitation.
In Zambales province, Mr. Marcos visited the residents of Barangay Santa Fe in San Marcelino town who have been living in isolation since Aug. 9, after a bridge linking their community was swept away by the swollen waters of the Santa Fe River.
A temporary wooden bridge was built to restore access to the isolated community just in time for the President’s visit.
Aeta resident Melissa Cabalic Hugatan, 43, said this was not the first time that they faced isolation because of flooding. Their dike and bridge have repeatedly been damaged whenever heavy rains cause the river to overflow.
The latest disruption cut off the northern portion of the village from the rest of the community. The situation was worsened by lahar from Mt. Pinatubo that inundated portions of the village after the river overtopped and breached a dike.
With the bridge gone, residents struggled to bring food and other necessities into the community. While there are variety stores in the area, Hugatan said many had also run out of goods to sell.
Pangasinan calamity
In Pangasinan, the provincial board, during an online session on Monday morning, declared the province under a state of calamity because weeks of monsoon rain and other weather disturbances affected more than 370,000 families (about 1.2 million people).
Flooding, the recent storms and heavy rains left significant damage, with initial estimates placing losses to infrastructure at P232.5 million, crops at P649.23 million, and livestock at P2.11 million.
As of Wednesday, 15 Pangasinan towns and two cities have barangays that are still underwater, with roads in the towns of Mangatarem and Calasiao and Dagupan City still not passable to light vehicles, according to Pia Navata Flores, spokesperson for the Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Other towns with still flooded communities are Agno, Mabini, Aguilar, Binmaley, Bugallon, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Sta. Barbara, San Jacinto, and Basista, as well as San Carlos City. —WITH REPORTS FROM MADELLE CALAYAG AND TONETTE OREJAS
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