Baguio city: Days of continuous rains due to two tropical cyclones and an enhanced southwest monsoon have resulted in an estimated PHP950 million in damage to infrastructure in the Cordillera Administrative Region, as reported by the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
According to Philippines News Agency, Engr. Jose Ignacio Valera, assistant regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and chair of the RDRRMC, stated that the Department of Public Works and Highways provided the damage estimate. Thirteen national roads in the region remain closed to vehicular traffic as of Monday morning. Additionally, six fatalities were reported due to landslides in Shilan, La Trinidad, Benguet, and Guisad Surong in Baguio City, with eight others injured and six missing.
The RDRRMC is awaiting official reports from relevant agencies such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government for fatalities and the Department of Health for injuries to update the data. The continuous adverse weather has affected 1,064 families, or 3,388 individuals, across the region. Of these, 131 families, accounting for 782 individuals, are temporarily residing in evacuation centers or with relatives. Authorities have also noted 25 partially damaged houses and three completely destroyed homes since the rains began.
In Baguio City, Mayor Benjamin Magalong reported that search and rescue operations are ongoing in Guisad Surong, where a landslide buried three houses. Six individuals, aged between 3 and 68 years, remain missing. Approximately 150 rescuers are involved in the efforts, utilizing life detectors and cameras to locate potential survivors. Residents near the landslide site have been preemptively evacuated, while doctors and social workers are providing immediate assistance, including psychosocial support for affected families.
The Department of Education - Cordillera (DepEd-CAR) has reported damage to educational facilities, with 598 classrooms sustaining minor damage, 94 experiencing major damage, and five completely destroyed. Damage also extends to learning materials, IT equipment, and furniture. The Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) has restored power in 216 out of 269 barangays, with ongoing restoration efforts focusing on critical installations to facilitate business continuity.
SM City Baguio, the Baguio Convention Center, Baguio City Hall, and other facilities have opened as charging and workspaces with free Wi-Fi to aid affected residents. The Department of Agriculture has urged the agricultural community to report damages for potential assistance, with some farmers preemptively harvesting crops to mitigate losses from the ongoing rains.
