13 barangays in Peñablanca still isolated due to Lawin

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Several barangays (villages) in Peñablanca, Cagayan, the town where Super Typhoon Lawin (Haima) made landfall, are still unreachable due to damaged bridges.

Peñablanca Vice Mayor Marilyn Taguinod told Rappler that the bridge connecting the barangays of Kabbo and Cabasan as well as the Tawi bridge were destroyed by flashfloods at the height of the super typhoon.

The destruction of the bridges has left 13 villages isolated: Cabasan, Bugatay, Sisim, Mangga, Buyun, Nabbabalayan, Minanga, Lappi, Callao, San Roque, Nannaryan, Agugaddan, and Malibabbag.

Taguinod said barangay officials and residents have to cross a river using a rescue boat to give updates on their situation.

Fronie Badajos, barangay council member of Nannaryan, was seen by the news team waiting for his turn to ride the rescue boat.

Badajos said it would be his first time to check the condition of his house since Lawin struck their town on Wednesday night, October 19.

He and his family had evacuated to Tuguegarao City, the province’s capital, before the typhoon’s landfall.

“Gusto ko man umuwi pero wala naman akong matawiran. Kaya nung narinig kong mayroong bangka na nagtatawid, pumunta na ako agad dito. Hindi ko pa alam ang sitwasyon sa amin,” Badajos said.

(I wanted to go home earlier but there was no way of reaching our barangay. When I heard that I could ride a rescue boat to cross the river, I immediately went here. I still don’t know the condition of our house.)

Vice Mayor Taguinod said it remains difficult to bring new relief supplies to the isolated barangays, but they were able to preposition goods there before Lawin struck.

She added that they are considering building temporary bridges, but they would need the help of the national government to ensure that these would be safe for light vehicles. – Rappler.com