DAGUPAN SUFFERS ONLY MINIMAL DAMAGE FROM TYPHOON "KAREN"

DAGUPAN CITY – The alert level of the Dagupan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DCDRRMC) has now been lowered from red to blue as Typhoon “Karen” is now outside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

But the country is now bracing for another strong typhoon named “Lawin” with international name of “Haima”, which is expected to enter the eastern boundary of the country in the afternoon of October 17.

Evacuees at the People’s Astrodome who were mostly from Sitio Fisheries and Claveria Road in Barangay Malued, who were evacuated at the height of the typhoon, consisting of around 31 families, are now back to their respective homes.

They were transported back to Malued by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) using one of its rescue trucks.

Other evacuees from the Federico Ceralde Integrated School in Bonuan Binloc totaling 77 families, who were housed in 15 classrooms; and 28 families, most of them were differently abled persons from the Region 1 Area Vocational Rehabilitation Center (AVRC) in Bonuan Gueset and housed at the Bonuan Sabangan Health Center in front of the Barangay Hall, are now also back to their respective homes.

The evacuees were provided with rice and canned goods and ready-to- eat food consisting of rice and tuna caldereta by the staff of City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and given free medical check-up and medicines by the City Health Office (CHO).

The CDRRMC went on an emergency meeting on October 14 and activated its Incident Command Post at the museum on October 15 where personnel of the CSWDO, CHO, Dagupan City Police Station (DCPS), CDRRMO and the City Information Office went on a 24-hour monitoring to assist and extend assistance to victims of the typhoon.

Ronald de Guzman, CDRRMO chief, disclosed that Typhoon “Karen” left minimal damages in the city. Only a number of broken electric posts and lines were down but were immediately addressed by the Dagupan Electric Corporation (DECORP).

The trees that fell were immediately cleared by personnel of CDRRMO.

The city’s main thoroughfares were also underwater at the height of the typhoon but the flash flood receded immediately after the rain except for Fisheries which remained underwater.

Before the entry of typhoon in the city, 11 families living near the Lingayen Gulf evacuated to Fererico Ceralde Integrated School in Bonuan Binloc while 15 families living at Fisheries and Claveria Road in Barangay Malued went on a preemptive evacuation under the guidance of Punong Barangay Pheng Delos Santos.

With “Lawin” entering the PAR, the CDRRMC is set to call for another emergency meeting on October 18 according to De Guzman. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Oct. 17, 2016)