La Union tourism rebuilds after ‘Emong’
The tourism sector in La Union province, which bore the brunt of Typhoon Emong’s (international name: Co-may) fury last month, is “down, but not out,” with industry players “standing and united to reinvigorate” the trade.
“Definitely, the tourist arrival has gone down as the facility owners are still recovering from the massive destruction of Emong,” Ed Regala, former president of the La Union Alliance of Travel and Tour Agencies, told the Inquirer on Wednesday.
Regala said alliance members are working to restore the industry’s vibrancy by offering promos to attract visitors, even as many resort owners continue repairing damaged buildings and facilities.
He noted that the worst-hit areas were the provincial capital San Fernando City, the surfing town of San Juan, and Bacnotan, although all towns in the first congressional district suffered from the typhoon’s powerful winds.
“The destruction was massive, and with power and communication lines down and no source of potable water, the coastal towns were really devastated. But the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) was able to provide water tanks and generator sets,” said Regala, who is also the PRC provincial head.
Reopening
Tourism industry players are hoping that in a week or so, most of the resorts will be able to reopen, he added.
Four hours of roaring winds and heavy downpour on July 25 left a trail of devastation in La Union, from which many towns are still recovering. The province posted P6 billion in infrastructure damage and P215 million in losses from destroyed or heavily damaged tourism facilities, according to records from the La Union Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
A total of 495 tourism business owners and workers from 88 establishments were affected when the businesses closed for repairs.
The typhoon wrecked the tower of the San Fernando City (Poro) community airport, paralyzing its operations until now, and damaged facilities at the San Fernando International Seaport, which has since resumed operations.
Emong tore through 18 La Union towns and the capital San Fernando, leaving two persons dead—a 25-year-old man from Caba town who drowned in a river and a 12-year-old boy from San Juan who was hit by a fallen tree. Three others were reported injured.
Thousands of houses were either damaged or destroyed, said former San Fernando City Mayor Mary Jane Ortega, whose family’s beach house lost part of its attic, had twisted window grills, smashed glass panes, and broken doors.
Relief efforts
Government records showed that 43,677 houses were affected, with the typhoon’s winds blowing their roofs away. Of the total, 3,319 houses were declared beyond repair and uninhabitable.
The agriculture and livestock sectors also suffered heavy losses, with P292 million in crop damage and P24 million in livestock and poultry losses.
“For eight days, 12 towns and one city experienced total power outage because electrical poles and lines fell down, but power has been restored in most affected villages. Communication lines are also mostly restored,” said John Martin, a resident of San Juan.
In a statement, the La Union provincial government said it was working with local officials and different organizations to ensure intensified disaster response and relief efforts for communities affected by Emong.
La Union Gov. Mario Eduardo Ortega assured the prompt and coordinated delivery of support and assistance to help affected residents recover from the typhoon’s widespread impact.
Second District Rep. Dante Garcia and KM Rep. Kenneth Tereng initiated the distribution of 5,000 family food packs. First District Rep. Paolo Ortega also augmented assistance from the national government as additional support to affected communities.
On July 29, Ortega led an aerial inspection of affected areas together with personnel from the Office of Civil Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to assess the extent of damage and the impact of the typhoon so they could determine the needs of residents.
He also directed the Provincial Engineering Office to hasten assistance to local governments in clearing debris, fallen trees, and damaged electric posts.
