by: Charles Nikko Limon

At least a hundred houses were damaged after continuous landslides struck Mountain Province during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan.

Several roads remain closed to traffic as clearing operations continue.

In the provincial capital, mud and debris covered major roads, while in Barangay Samoki, some homes were buried by rocks and soil.

Residents worked together to clear the affected areas, though several houses were completely washed away by floods and landslides.

Road closures were also reported along the Mountain Province–Nueva Vizcaya Road, as well as the Bontoc–Guina-ang–Mainit Road and Barlig–Natonin Road, following multiple landslide incidents.

The roofs of several schools in Sagada, Bauko, and Bontoc were torn off by strong winds, while vehicles in Sadanga were swept away by raging floodwaters.

Despite impassable roads, police officers and volunteers braved the danger to rescue a senior citizen needing medical attention.

In Barangay Anabel, one house was nearly buried under soil and rocks.

In Barlig, homes and vehicles were damaged as floods and mudflows swept through the community.

Several residents were also rescued at the height of the storm.

According to Mountain Province PDRRMO Chief Atty. Edward Chumawar Jr., clearing efforts are ongoing.

“Ongoing pa po yung clearing sa ngayon. As of now, tinutuloy pa rin yung clearing. Nagsuspend lang kagabi for safety reasons, and then ngayon, nadeploy naman na ulit lahat ng DPWH and Provincial Engineering Office,” he said.

A large portion of the province remains without power.

The Mountain Province Electric Cooperative is currently working to restore electricity in affected areas.

Data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office showed that nearly 600 families, or about 1,800 individuals, were evacuated, while more than 100 houses sustained varying degrees of damage.

Assessment of the typhoon’s total impact is still ongoing.