The Negros Oriental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said yesterday that 5,100 families, or 21,600 individuals, were affected by super typhoon “Pablo”, and several of them were evacuated to safer grounds at the height of the onslaught.

It added that, as of 3 p.m. yesterday, about 214 houses had been destroyed and 211 damaged by strong winds and rains. These included 50 houses in Dumaguete, 166 – Mabinay, 150 – Manjuyod and 53 – Pamplona.

In Dumaguete, several century-old pine trees along Rizal Boulevard were either uprooted or damaged, and port facilities, roads, crops and properties were also damaged.

Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo yesterday ordered Provincial Agriculturist Gregorio Paltinca to deploy teams to assess the damage to crops.

Meanwhile, general manager Eunora Sameon of the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative said they are undertaking the restoration of power as soon as possible and that clearing and maintenance work is being done by segments.

Partial restoration of power can be done once safety is assured to prevent electrocution and other untoward incidents, she added.

Sameon said that, from San Jose to Dauin, 14 operation and maintenance and four row clearing teams have been mobilized. For Tanjay City and Pamplona, additional teams from the Siaton and Bayawan sub-offices of NORECO II will augment the four Tanjay teams to undertake restoration works.

NORECO II has asked the public to report fallen electric poles and to stop the clearing of trees/vegetation entangled with electric lines.

It is also awaiting updates from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on the resumption of electricity after its transmission network was damaged by the typhoon.*JG

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