SAN NARCISO, Zambales, Philippines – Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. ordered Thursday the immediate repair and reinforcement of an eroded portion of the Sto. Tomas Dike to prevent further destruction of agricultural fields during the onslaught of typhoon “Pedring.”

Ebdane supervised the installation of gabions, soil and sand-filled cages, to stop the inflow of water and mud from the dike that may further imperil agricultural fields in the area.

He assured farmers near the dike that measures are being done to prevent the lahar-filled river from breaching the embankment and flooding the outlying farmlands and residential areas here.

The emergency dike repair was carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Zambales Engineering Office, as the province reeled from the effects of typhoon "Pedring," which battered the coastal areas in this province with strong winds and heavy rains.

"Pedring’s" rampage over the country has brought the destruction of some P49 million worth of agricultural products, affecting 5,120 families in the province, and destroying some parts of the Sto. Tomas dike.

Ebdane also inspected communities damaged by the typhoon and said that of the 25,168 affected individuals, 2,658 of them had to flee their homes and seek temporary shelter at evacuation centers.

Most of those affected come from the northern towns of Zambales: Sta. Cruz, with 5,110 persons affected; Candelaria with 4,850; Masinloc, 5,910; and Palauig, 6,527. Of the affected persons, 1,498 were evacuated in Sta. Cruz town.

In Iba, a total of 1,607 persons were affected, and Botolan had 498; Cabangan 509; and San Antonio 157. Evacuees in Botolan numbered 118 families, Cabangan 126, San Felipe 98, and San Antonio 43 families.

A report by the Zambales Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also indicated one casualty here – Jose Buno, 45, who drowned at barangay Lomboy in Cabangan.