EVEN as Super Typhoon Egay leaves the Philippines, its aftermath has caused enough damage to Benguet province that the provincial council has declared a state of calamity in the area.
In a resolution passed August 2, the Benguet provincial government has officially declared a state of calamity in the province to address the aftermath of Egay.
According to the Benguet Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), which recommended the declaration of state of calamity, critical incidents which include damaged houses, casualties, and evacuees were reported in as many as 103 of the province’s 140 barangays.
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) reported some P35 million worth of damage to irrigation facilities, with even more damage reported to infrastructure and actual crops in Benguet alone,
Meanwhile, the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) also reported that more than half of the province’s 57 provincial roads were damaged by landslides brought about by the typhoon.
Under a state of calamity, the province is able to gain access to calamity funding, no-interest loans, and the ability to enact price freezes for basic commodities in order to spur recovery efforts.
