“While most are taking a break this holiday season, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Quick Response Teams are out in the field working tirelessly to clear roads and help our kababayans affected by Typhoon Odette.”
DPWH Secretary Roger Mercado said this as he expressed his appreciation to the men and women of the Department who are part of the DPWH Special Task Force on Typhoon Odette and Quick Response Teams.
According to Mercado, through the efforts of the teams working even during the holiday, a total of 46 national road sections have already been cleared and reopened.
“The reopening of roads allowed the national government and local government units to immediately extend relief efforts especially in hardly affected areas.”
“The reopening of roads allowed the national government and local government units to immediately extend relief efforts especially in hardly affected areas,” the public works chief said.
Damage to public infrastructure is now at ₱3.71 Billion, with ₱2.87 Billion in roads, ₱602.48 Million in bridges, ₱349.26 Million in flood-control structures, and ₱650,000 in other public buildings.
“Central Visayas has the largest scale damage to infrastructure costing ₱1.68 Billion.”
Central Visayas has the largest scale damage to infrastructure costing ₱1.68 Billion, followed by Eastern Visayas at ₱963.64 Million, Western Visayas at ₱549.65 Million, Caraga Region at ₱230 Million, MiMaRoPa-Region 4B at ₱157.83 Million, and Northern Mindanao at ₱134.34 Million.
To date, only one road remains totally-closed to traffic due to collapsed pavement, fallen trees and other debris. The affected road is the Santander-Barili-Toledo Road in Barangay Madridejos, Alegria, Cebu.
DPWH is also clearing three road sections in Caraga Region with limited access due to road slip, damaged detour road and bridge, soil slope collapse, a road cut and sinking/collapsed pavement.
These include Dinagat-Loreto Road in San Jose, Mahayahay, Dinagat Islands; NJR Bayugan-Calaitan-Tandag Road in Barangay Lucena, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur; and NRJ Bah-Bah-Talacogon Road in Barangay Berseba, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.
