Rescuers dig up the 10 persons who were reportedly buried alive after their houses collapsed at the height of typhoon ‘Pepeng’ on Friday. But the retrieval operation was stopped due to the extent of damage in the area. (Photo by RIZALDY COMANDA)

 Tropical storm “Pepeng” turned back and wrought devastation more than what it inflicted during its first visit last week, with over 100 people feared dead in Benguet province alone from landslides and flashfloods that virtually cut off northern Luzon from the rest of the country.

Fourteen people were confirmed dead when Pepeng initially pummeled northern Luzon with strong winds and rains last week. Although it weakened when it revisited the same areas on Thursday after hovering over the Luzon seas, it brought heavy rains that caused extensive damage through landslides in Benguet and flooding in Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija.

Data gathered from provincial authorities indicate that as of press time, the total number of deaths from Pepeng has reached at least 170.

Reports of more fatalities continue to mount as of this writing.

Benguet has the highest number of deaths at 80, with 41 coming from La Trinidad town, 12 in Itogon, six in Tublay, four in Mancayan, two in Buguias, one in Sablan and nine more in different areas who have yet to be identified.

In Baguio City, the death toll was placed at 30, with 10 in Irisan, four in Bakakeng, two in Pinsao Proper, one in PNB Village, one in Brookespoint, five in Bokawkan, and six in Cresencia Village. Six persons remained missing in the city.

In an interview at noon Friday, Senior Supt. Loreto Espinili, commander of the Benguet Provincial Police, said they have already retrieved 80 bodies across the province since landslides occurred in several towns on Thursday.

“There are still at least 36 people reported missing in areas where these landslides occurred and we believe that the casualties will still increase because our chiefs of police have been updating us from time to time with new casualty figures,” said Espinili.

Espinili said that in the town of La Trinidad alone, rescuers continue to recover bodies from the landslide sites, the reason why the number of fatalities in the town was updated several times.

Aside from landslides, the official said La Trinidad town was also hit by flashflood, making it hard for rescue teams to expedite the search and rescue operations across the province.

Espinili identified some of those who died from the landslides as Miller Masuka and Jacinto Manno in Buguias town; Jolina Mae Astudillo, John Kennedy Fagsao, Danny Cuyopan and Antolen Kinmayong in Mankayan town; Deborah Boyayao, Shandell Boyayao, Milanya Supla, Rita Nalog, Homer Carpio and Gilbert Carpio in Tablay town.

“Our province is heavily affected; there were incidents of landslides in most areas and these made some of the towns impenetrable because some of the roads were blocked,” said Espinili.

Aside from Benguet, PNP figures from the Ilocos Region police director, who also heads the Regional Disaster and Coordinating Council (RDCC), revealed that there were four dead in Pangasinan, one each in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union.

A separate report reaching the police National Operations Center revealed that there were also two reported dead in Ifugao and one each in Nueva Ecija and Quezon province.

“A number of people were already evacuated to safer grounds; we also dispatched a team to monitor water level in Ambuclao and Binga dams,” said Espenili, adding that several teams were also deployed to conduct clearing operations along Marcos Highway and Naguillian Road.

Chief Supt. Ramon Gatan, director of the Ilocos Region Police, said Pangasinan is the worst hit in terms of flooding with a total of 27 towns, mostly in District 3 of the province, submerged in floodwaters.

Aside from the rain, Gatan said the flooding which also affected 11 towns in La Union, one town in Ilocos Sur and six towns in Ilocos Norte, can also be attributed to the release of water from the San Roque Dam.

“We have already evacuated a total of 1,762 families or about 7,800 people across the region. We have a number of evacuees here,” said Gatan in a phone interview.

The official said a number of major thoroughfares were rendered impassable due to heavy flooding, among them are the Carmen-Rosales Highway which was submerged by at least four feet of water.
Vehicles can no longer pass the Rosario-Sison Bridge as it collapsed.

“A number of roads and bridges were damaged, the estimated damage to infrastructure here in Ilocos Region is initially at P190 million,” said Gatan.

“We have also an estimated damage on crops of around 239 million,” he added.

There eight reported dead and one injured in Ilocos Region so far but Gatan did not give the breakdown of the fatalities province.

Many areas, particularly in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), remained isolated, making it difficult to deliver relief assistance.

Access to Baguio City, the country’s summer capital, was also practically cut off as the main roads leading to the Pines City were all closed due to landslides.

The NDCC said that as of 6 a.m. Friday, Pepeng has made landfall thrice since it made its first last October 3 in Tuguegarao.

It was estimated to be in the vicinity of Ilocos Sur or at 60 km north northwest of Baguio City, with a maximum sustained wind of 55 kph near the center. Pepeng is moving westward slowly.

Massive landslides have been reported in barangay Tabio, Mankayan; Aurora, Poblacion, Mankayan; Sayangan Atok and in Tublay all in Benguet. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, while minor landslides were also reported in Kalinga.

In region 4B, a landslide was also reported in Taytay, Palawan hitting the municipal center building were six persons were reported trapped.

Floods have also occurred in Baguio City and La Trinidad. Burnham Lake overflowed.

In Region 1, a total of 184 barangays remain flooded in Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, and Ilocos Sur; and 31 barangays in Region 3 particularly in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Nueva Ecija.