Photos courtesy of CATPIO/Yaliboi
Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Secretary Vivencio Dizon last Friday ordered agency officials to fast-track the repair and rehabilitation of damaged roads, bridges, seawalls and public schools in Catanduanes that were destroyed or damaged by super typhoon Uwan.
In his visit to the island a day after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. saw for himself the destruction wrought by the typhoon, the DPWH chief directed the regional office and the district engineering office to immediately start work on all damaged national infrastructures, including schools.
“Huwag na maghintay ng red tape, huwag na maghintay ng proseso,” he told local media, assuring that funding for the repair and rehabilitation works has been promised by the president.
He said that what is important is for concerned DPWH offices to strictly monitor the work to ensure that it would be prosecuted according to plans and specifications.
“Bago na dapat ang DPWH ngayon. Kailangan mabilis, maayos at honest yung trabaho,” Sec. Dizon stressed as he called on agency personnel to follow the example set in Masbate where a lot of typhoon-damaged schools have been repaired.
“They will give me a timeline in the next few days,” he stated, adding that he told agency officials that quality should be maintained in spite of the speedy rehabilitation work.
Inspecting the storm surge’s damage on a portion of the seawall along Imelda boulevard in Virac, Dizon noted that the damage occurred in sections where no concrete hexapods were installed.
The hexapods, which look like giant jackstones, were instrumental in dissipating the power of the huge four-meter waves unleashed by the passing typhoon but these were installed only at the Francia-San Vicente portion of the coastal bypass road.
“Clearly, nag-work ito. Ang sabi ko, hindi lang i-repair yun, kailangan lahat ng segment na walang hexapod, kailangan lagyan na natin ang hexapod,” he disclosed.
“The President wants Catanduanes to rise up as fast as possible. So yun ang ating commitment,” the DPWH chief declared. “And then we have the budget commitment from the president. So, there’s no reason why we cannot do it fast. Pero dapat quality yung trabaho.”
A situational report released by the provincial government stated that the storm left P2.8 billion worth of damaged infrastructure, including P1.47 billion on national roads and bridges, P500 million on seawalls and flood control structures, and P378 million on schools.
Also sustaining damages were local roads and bridges, P342 million, health facilities, P700,000; government facilities, P3.3 million; agriculture infrastructure, P66 million, and other infra, P82 million.
An updated PDRRMO report last Nov. 16 put the number of affected population at 211,689 from 312 barangays, with 1,308 still in evacuation centers.
According to the latest count, 34,432 houses were damaged, including 4,581 which were destroyed.
The calamity has claimed the life of one person, drowning victim Cesar Rodriguez Jr., 47, of San Jose Poblacion, Viga.
A total of 119 were injured in five towns: Bagamanoc, 6; Bato, 50; Pandan, 45; Gigmoto, 1; and, Virac, 16. There is no data yet from the other towns.
Power remains unavailable in most of the 315 barangays, with FICELCO and Task Force Kapatid teams restoring electricity in only 7 villages in Bato, 10 in San Andres and 35 in Virac
Major routes from Virac to the other towns have been cleared of landslides, with most passable to all types of vehicles.
Still closed to traffic are the Panganiban-Sabloyon road, Ananong-Mabini road in Viga, and Dugui San Vicente-Dugui San Isidro road in Virac.