Fearing depletion of their calamity funds with more than a month to go before the year ends, some local government units are not joining the “Paeng” relief goods distribution spree.
The Tribune confirmed that the municipal government of Virac is not procuring additional relief packs for distribution in addition to the Family Food Packs and goods given to evacuees during the storm’s passage last Oct. 29, 2022.
While majority of barangays did purchase rice, canned goods and noodles for distribution to their constituents, some chose not to do so while others held on to their stocks as prepositioned relief goods in case another weather disturbance hits the island in the coming weeks.
Mayor Samuel Laynes said that it would be prudent to hold on to the available calamity funds for relief operations for now as there are still seven weeks before the year ends.
He added that despite the storm reportedly making landfall at the southwestern tip of Virac, there was not much damage to property, agriculture and public infrastructure.
According to the consolidated final report, no houses were totally or partially damaged by the 75-kph sustained winds of “Paeng,” which did not likewise inflict any damage to roads, government buildings and other infrastructure.
However, two fires were recorded just after the storm passed, reducing to ashes an office building inside Fiat Village in Cavinitan and damaging a motorcycle at the Virac Water District compound in San Isidro Village.
There were likewise no reports of flooding or landslides occurring in any of the 63 barangays of the capital town
But it did leave P2.5 million in partial damage to High Value Commercial Crops and another P1.7 million to rice plantations.
A total of 5,631 families left their homes before the storm hit, with 890 of them moving into identified evacuation centers while the others sought shelter in sturdier houses of their neighbors.
The distribution of relief food packs was concentrated on these evacuees, the LGU stated.
In contrast, five of the other 10 towns reported damage to private property, with a total of 25 house totally damaged and 328 partially damaged, as per partial report of the provincial government dated Oct. 30.
The totally damaged houses are in Baras (11), Bato (1), Pandan (6), Panganiban (2), and Viga (50 while the partially damaged ones are in Baras (40), Bato (2), Pandan (240), Panganiban (18) and Viga (28).
Damage to infrastructure was estimated at a total of P9.26 million while the storm caused damages of P21.8 million to agriculture and P1.5 million to fisheries.
Majority of the damage to roads and bridges was confined to minor landslides, eroded roadbeds, fallen trees and debris, spillway approach, and damaged reinforced concrete pipe culverts (RCPCs) and slope protection structures.
PAGASA weather observer Evan Tabios told the Tribune that Paeng’s sustained winds was 10 meters per second or about 36 kph between 1 AM to 2 AM of Oct. 29, with maximum wind gusts of 18 mps or 65 kph.
The storm also brought only 47 millimeters of rain during the 24-hour period beginning 8 AM of Oct. 28.
He said he and six other personnel were at the Virac Synoptic Station in San Isidro Village taking turns to man the station two hours at a time.
Tabios, who worked for 13 years as a lineman at FICELCO before applying for the post vacated by his father, confirmed that “Paeng” indeed passed near the southwestern top of Virac at about 1 AM of Oct. 29 as borne out by hourly barometric pressure readings and changes in wind direction.
Meanwhile, the provincial government has earmarked a total of P7 million from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF) for its post-Paeng operations.
As specified in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution declaring a state of calamity in the province, P2 million will be spent for the purchase of fuel for landslide and debris clearing operations while another P5 million will go to the procurement of relief goods, both charged against the Quick Response Fund.