by: Vanessa Bugtong
More than 700 residents, or 186 families, who evacuated during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan in Itogon, Benguet, have now returned home as weather conditions improved.
Seventy-four-year-old Mildred Fianza recalled the fear of experiencing another powerful storm.
She was among those who witnessed the devastation of Typhoon Ompong in 2018. “There were small landslides during the storm, but the roads remained passable,” she said in Ilocano.
As part of their precautionary measures, residents evacuated early under the local government’s “Oplan Tangguyob” before the typhoon hit.
Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Engr. Cyril Batcagan said the proactive evacuation prevented casualties. “All evacuees were moved to safe centers before the storm struck,” Batcagan said.
Two days after the typhoon, clearing operations continued in various areas to remove fallen trees and debris.
“So far, there were no major landslides recorded. It’s good that residents volunteered to evacuate early,” Batcagan added.
Initial assessments from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) showed that agricultural damage in Itogon reached 59,000 pesos, while infrastructure losses were estimated at 38,000 pesos.
All evacuees were allowed to return to their homes on November 11 as weather conditions stabilized.
