Personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region 1 are clearing roads. including the Manila North Road in Barangay Pancian, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, which is not passable as of press time due to the series of landslides and mudflows, which also have fallen trees in the area.
The affected areas cover several meters of Kilometers (KO) 0575, 0579, 0570,0573, 0574, and 0571+600.
According to the DPWH public advisory group, road clearing operations are ongoing with the use of heavy equipment, which were prepositioned in the area since November 9.
Meanwhile, Caroline Bagamaspad, Area 4 manager of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC), reported that as of 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, a landslide toppled a distribution pole of INEC, leaving Barangays Baduang up to Pasaleng in Pagudpud town with no electricity as of the moment.
Due to the continuous rainfall, residents living in landslide-prone areas were alerted to evacuate to safer grounds as an orange rainfall warning was raised over three Luzon provinces on Tuesday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA warned that flooding and landslides are threatening the low-lying and flood-prone areas in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, Luna in Apayao, and the towns of Abulug, Aparri, Baggao, Ballesteros, Claveria, Gonzaga, Pamplona, Peñablanca, Santa Praxedes, and Sanchez Mira in Cagayan.
PAGASA raises the orange warning to alert residents when rainfall of more than 15 millimeters (mm) up to 30 mm has fallen within one hour or expected to fall. (PNA)
