Typhoon Egay severely hits Benguet, Yap appeals for immediate aid.

On Wednesday, Benguet Congressman Eric Yap appealed to the National Government for immediate aid for the victims of Typhoon Egay, which critically hit Benguet and the rest of the Northern Philippines.

“Unofficial reports of casualties and missing individuals and millions of pesos worth of damaged properties – ito ang lagay ngayon sa Benguet. We are still verifying the extent of the damage, but we have unofficial reports from the ground that there are casualties and missing individuals. We are actively coordinating with our LGUs to record the families affected so we could extend assistance and to document the roads in need of rehabilitation so we could implement necessary measures,” Yap reported.

“We call to our National Government for assistance, the Benguet Province is in dire need of help. In fact, marami pa rin sa ating kakailyan ang hindi nakakabangon mula sa mga nagdaang unos, dagdag na naman ito. We need forces for intensified operations for disaster rescue and relief. Many of our significant passageways in the province remain impassable as of the moment, obstructing emergency response and impeding the livelihood of hundreds of families in our province. Salamat sa ating LGUs at mga residente na sama-samang umaaksyon sa clearing ops,” the solon stated.

“Matinding pagbaha sa iba’t ibang lugar, kabi-kabilang landslides, pagkasira ng mga daan at kabuhayan – kada bagyo, ganito na ang nararanasan natin sa Benguet. Hindi na bago ito, habang tumatagal ay mas lumalala pa nga. Parehong mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng short-term na immediate relief sa ating kakailyan na apektado at long-term na infrastructure and systemic development. It is imperative that we execute extensive measures (1) for preparation, prevention and mitigation before, (2) for quick emergency response during, and (3) for recovery and reconstruction after the typhoon or any other disaster,” Yap pronounced.

“We ask for your prayers for Benguet and our neighboring provinces affected by Typhoon Egay. Nakikiramay tayo sa mga pamilyang nawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Bukas po ang ating tanggapan para sa inyo. May we find strength in each other to recover from this tragedy. Magkakasama tayo, walang maiiwan,” he added.