Batangas City, 2 towns under state of calamity

BATANGAS CITY — This city and the Batangas towns of Mabini and Tingloy have been placed under a state of calamity due to the destruction wreaked by typhoon "Caloy" last week.

In this city alone, "Caloy" damaged about P100 million to 150 million worth of infrastructure and agricultural crops.

Batangas City Mayor Eddie Dimacuha declared the state of calamity last Saturday, a day after the typhoon landed in Batangas.

He said at least 1,009 families or 4,529 people in the city’s 42 barangays were affected.

Mila Espanola, the city’s civil defense coordinator, said 325 houses were totally destroyed, while 987 others were partially damaged.

"Our Badjao and Mangyan brothers in Barangay Cumba, a coastal barangay, were severely affected by the typhoon," Espanola told The STAR.

She said the tribal folk are now temporarily housed in the city’s new public market and Libho Elementary School.

Letty Chua, city public information officer, said two coastal barangays remain isolated because the road leading to them has been damaged.

In Mabini town, typhoon damage to infrastructure, fisheries and agricultural crops was placed at more than P168 million.

Mabini Mayor Rowel Sandoval said the municipal council has decided to release an initial P4 million as assistance to the typhoon victims.

The island-town of Tingloy, situated a few nautical miles away from Batangas City, was also badly damaged.

The towns of Sta. Teresita, San Pascual, Padre Garcia, Alitagtag, Balayan, Lemery, Bauan and Nasugbu also incurred heavy damage to crops and infrastructure, but their respective councils have yet to declare a state of calamity.

Meanwhile, Batangas Gov. Arman Sanchez, through provincial administrator Ronaldo Geron, said a state of calamity could not yet be declared for the entire province pending the submission of damage reports from all affected towns.