By CESAR JOLITO III
The municipality of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental has been placed under a state of calamity after Typhoon “Tino” left an estimated P373 million worth of damage to infrastructure and agriculture, according to local disaster officials.
Preliminary reports from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office revealed that “Tino” caused P363 million in infrastructure damage, including the destruction of critical roads, spillways and bridges that have rendered several areas impassable.
Among the hardest hit were the P60-million hanging footbridge and the spillway connecting Barangays 1 and Inolingan, as well as the bridge linking Barangays Montilla and Macagahay.
The damage to roads was placed at P162 million, while spillways accounted for P75 million; houses, P60 million; and water pipelines, P1.6 million.
Agricultural losses were estimated at P11.5 million, with P6.6 million affecting rice crops and P4.5 million in livestock losses, data from the Municipal Agriculturist Office showed.
Despite the preemptive evacuation ordered by Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo prior to “Tino’s” landfall on November 4, flash floods still submerged several barangays, trapping residents in their homes as floodwaters rose rapidly overnight.
The local government confirmed 10 fatalities, while 24 individuals remain missing as of press time.
Search and retrieval operations continue, with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office seeking assistance from the Philippine Coast Guard to deploy K9 units to help locate missing residents.
The Negros Occidental provincial government has already dispatched heavy equipment to help clear debris and repair damaged bridges and roads. It also sent food packs, hygiene kits, medicines, and a 10,000-liter water tanker for affected residents.
Donations and assistance from national agencies, private firms and volunteers continue to pour into evacuation centers, where hundreds of families remain displaced.
Garcia-Yulo expressed gratitude for the swift response but stressed that recovery will take time given the scale of destruction.
“We are grateful for the help, but the situation remains critical. Our people need continuous assistance, especially in rebuilding homes and livelihoods,” the mayor said./CJ, WDJ