Cagayan flooding causes P80 million worth of damage — PDRRMO

Flooding in the Cagayan province has caused an estimated P80 million worth of damage, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said on Monday.

Speaking on news program QRT, PDRRMO head Atanacio Macalan Jr. said that the damage to the province’s agriculture industry was around P40.8 million, while the damage to infrastructure was P40 million.

Cagayan was placed under a state of calamity last Friday due to the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Quiel which caused the flooding across the province. 

“Kasi itong Cagayan River, catchbasin ito ng buong Region 2 kaya tumaas tubig kanina. As of 1 p.m. kanina, 7.7 meters ang taas ng tubig dito,” Macalan explained.

The number of fatalities due to the floods remained at four.

In Claveria, a vehicle was submerged in floodwater up to its windshield.

Footage taken by the passenger Brylle Sandiko last Friday showed murky waters already leaking into their vehicle.

According to Sandiko, they decided to cross the flood as they did not think that the waters would recede anytime soon.

They were also left with no other choice as the areas where they came from had also been flooded.

The PDRRMO said they have already evacuated affected residents and relief operations were underway.

The roads in the area were now also passable.

“Awa ng Diyos, passable na lahat ang kalsada ngayon dito at nakikita na rin sa palayan ang mga pananim. Subalit itong nagdaan ng araw ay tumaas ang tubig ng Cagayan River dahil malakas ang ulan sa karating na probinsya,” Macalan said. — Julia Mari Ornedo/DVM, GMA News