Damage to crops and infrastructure from the two recent tropical cyclones that affected the northern parts of Luzon continued to pile up on Monday, reaching more than P1.5 billion based on preliminary estimates, field reports compiled by the Manila Bulletin showed.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) in Region 3 said damage to agricultural crops reached P780 million in Central Luzon alone.

In Pampanga, DA Regional Director Redentor Gatus said an estimated 115,684 hectares of rice lands have been devastated by the typhoons, with some 22,181 hectares classified as “beyond recovery,” particularly those in Aurora and Pampanga provinces.

DA Region 3 estimated P270 million in damages to crops and livestock in Pampanga alone.

Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio said one of the hardest hit was Lubao town where some 3,500 hectares of agricultural land were devastated, and an estimated P30 million in crops, had been lost.

Panlilio also said rice lands, fishponds and livestock were destroyed in the towns of Floridablanca with 1,800 hectares or about P17 million in losses; Guagua with 1,691 hectares or P16 million in losses; Mabalacat with some 450 hectares or about P2.4 million in damages; and Magalang with about 325 hectares of rice crops, or an estimated P1.8 million destroyed.

The Maliguyo-Santol Creek sustained a 50-meter damage costing about P10 million, while Solib Creek’s protective barriers, some 500 meters of it, or about P30 million were also destroyed, he said.

In Ilocos Sur, one lane of the national highway in both approaches of the historic President Quirino Bridge spanning the Abra River in Barangay Banaoang in Bantay town was already open to all  types of vehicles,Monday morning after it was rendered impassable Sunday night due to landslides caused by typhoon Pepeng.

Classes in all levels in the province were suspended Monday while government offices were open. Power in some towns in the second district and some barangays in Vigan City were restored while brownouts were experienced in all towns in the first district.

At least one person was reported killed in Ilocos Sur from drowning in Barangay Langaoan, Sta. Maria town late Sunday afternoon. The victim was identified as Ella Cabjuan, 56.Meanwhile, the reported seven missing construction workers along the Abra River were successfully rescued by the Army.

At least 15, 000 individuals from the 3,000 families were initially affected and under water as Pepeng hit the province last Sunday, but officials said the number of those are expected to rise further.

Ilocos Sur Governor Deogracias Victor Savellano supervised relief and feeding operations for more or less 2,000 individuals evacuated in the Sto. Domingo Coliseum.

“Our relief operations for the victims of Typhoon Pepeng are continuing, while rescue operations by the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Army to the affected residents in Santa town are ongoing,” Savellano said.

The provincial government and the Department of Public Works and Highways were rushing to clear the buried strategic national highway in Bantay town from tons of debris and mud as hundreds of vehicles were stranded since Saturday after the mountains caved in Barangay Banaong, isolating Vigan City, the rest of the towns in northern Ilocos Sur, Laoag and Ilocos Norte .

The landslide came after the province was hit by severe strong winds and heavy rains brought by typhoon Pepeng that also placed large parts of the province under water.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture reported that around 4,000 hectares of rice field were destroyed in Ilocos Sur, while some 2,200 hectares of ready to harvest palay were also severely destroyed in Ilocos Norte.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said damage to infrastructure such as roads and bridges in Northern Luzon as a result of typhoon Pepeng has reached P100 million.

The DPWH said two regions – the Cordillera Autonomous Region and Cagayan Valley— sustained the most of damage from Pepeng’s fury.

“In these regions, our clearing operations in secondary roads are still ongoing while all major thoroughfares are now cleared from debris and landslides. Once we are done, we can give the total damage caused by the typhoon,” DPWH Undersecretary Romeo Momo for Luzon operations said.

Tropical Storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng have destroyed an estimated P604.715 million worth of roads and bridges in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, CAR, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Regions 4-A and 4-B, and Bicol Region.

As of October 5, four road sections in Cagayan Valley, namely Cabagan Sta. Maria, Cagayan-Apayao, Dugo-San Vicente, and Santiago-Tuguegarao

Roads Road are still closed to traffic due to floodwaters and landslides.

The same report showed that 10 road sections were also closed to all types of vehicles in the CAR. These are Conner-Kabugao, Claveria-Calanasan, Kalinga-Abra, Balballan-Pinukpuk, Bontoc-Baguio, Taludin-Barlig-Natonin, banaue-Mayoyao Roads, among others.

Meanwhile, DPWH constructed improvised pedestrian bridges in Rizal for temporary replacement of severely damaged Quisao bridge connecting the municipalities of Jala-jala and Pililia and 3rd Concrete Bridge along Marcos Highway.

“We can say it is easy to repair Quisao bridge because you only need filing up of approaches after it was washed out by floods. That one in Marcos Highway needs reconstruction of one span which will take us a month to repair,” he explained.

In Metro Manila, DPWH Director Edilberto Tayao said the clearing operations in some flooded areas in Pasig City and Marikina are nearly done and his personnel had shifted in repairing potholes on the roads.

“All national roads in Metro Manila are already passable to all type of vehicles except for some areas that are still underwater,” he said, adding that they are waiting for floodwaters to recede before they can start the clean up together with other government agencies.

He said a set of equipments such as road graders, pay-loaders, dump trucks, and 50 maintenance crews are now on stand-by in Pasig City and Marikina for clearing operations and repair works. (Raymund Antonio, Franco Regala, Freddie Lazaro, and Mar Supnad)