Many areas in Cagayan still isolated due to floods —governor

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba on Monday said that many places in the province remained isolated due to roads rendered not passable by floods caused by Typhoon Ulysses.

Interviewed on GMA News’ Unang Balita, Mamba said that relief operation teams have to use choppers to deliver food and water to the flood-hit residents.

“Talagang dinadala namin by helicopter na. Kumuha kami ng maraming air assets po. Nagpapatulong kami sa AFP, sa PNP. So lahat po ng relief operations namin in so many isolated areas is by air,” he said, referring to the military and the police.

“Makikita niyo naman sa video na 'yung mga tao, makikita mo talaga na hinahabol nila ang mga helicopter. Hindi rin makababa ang mga helicopter in most of the places.”

The municipal and city disaster and risk reduction management offices are conducting operations only in areas that can be reached through land travel, according to Mamba.

“The fact na napakalawak na ng Cagayan River at nag-swell pa ng husto beyond 'yung banks niya kaya parang ocean na. Makikita niyo 'yung tubig ay from one mountain range to the other, tubig lahat 'yan,” he said.

“From the Cordillera hanggang doon sa Sierra Madre, tubig po lahat 'yan. May patse-patse lang na matataas, where nandoon po 'yung mga bahay,” he added.

Due to the flooding over the weekend, many people were stranded on rooftops for three days without food and water as they waited to be rescued.

On Saturday, the province of Cagayan was placed under a state of calamity due to the widespread flooding after Ulysses passed through Luzon on Thursday. —KBK, GMA News