• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The onslaught of Typhoon Tino brought widespread damage to Moises Padilla town, Negros Occidental, leaving an estimated P373 million in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.
The town, which was hit by strong winds and flash floods, sustained extensive damage to agriculture amounting to P11.5 million. Of this, P6.6M was damage to rice, P4.5 million was reported as damage to livestock, aside from other crops also incurring losses, the Municipal Agriculturist Office reported.
Initial reports on infrastructure indicate that the total damage caused by the typhoon amounted to P363 million. This includes P162 million on roads, P75 million on spillways, P60 million on houses, and P1.6 million on water pipelines.
‘Tino’ severely damaged critical roads and bridges, including the hanging footbridge worth P60 million, the spillway connecting Barangay 1 and Barangay Inolingan, as well as the bridge linking Barangay Montilla and Barangay Macagahay.
Prior to the typhoon’s arrival, Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo ordered the evacuation of all residents near rivers and flood-prone areas. Despite the pre-emptive evacuation, flash floods still inundated several barangays, trapping residents as floodwaters submerged homes and making rescue operations difficult.
The Sangguniang Bayan swiftly placed the town under a State of Calamity. The Provincial Government of Negros Occidental immediately responded by sending heavy equipment for initial repairs of the impassable bridges and roads, as well as provided hygiene kits, food, medicine, and a 10,000-litre water tanker. Assistance from various agencies, businesses, and private individuals continues to arrive for the town’s evacuees.
As of the press time, the town has recorded at least 10 confirmed fatalities, while 24 individuals remain missing.
The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) is continuing its search and retrieval operations for the missing individuals.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Chief Irene Bel Ploteña had appealed to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to send specialized K9 units to fast-track the retrieval of cadavers in the town.*
