MANILA, Nov. 13 (PNA) -– All road sections that were left impassable by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ are now cleared from debris and open for public vehicles, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson said in press briefing Wednesday.
According to Singson, roads in Region IV-B, V, VI, VII and VIII are now 100 percent passable after the department’s clearing operation teams were able to clear them from fallen trees and other debris like wrecked vehicles.
They were also able to fix some of the damaged bridges and retaining wall that made roads in some areas hardly passable.
With this, the public works and highways secretary said other government agencies will be able to provide the necessary assistance particularly to the areas that were temporarily isolated.
Despite the pouring in of aid from the government and private sector, impassable roads made delays and inefficient rescue and relief operations.
Earlier reports said survivors in isolated towns, especially in Region VIII or Eastern Visayas, have not received any help from the government days after the typhoon.
Now, the DPWH said all roads in the region are passable, including sections of Borongan to Guiuan and Marabut to Guiuan, in Eastern Samar that were hardly passable due to damaged Batang bridge and retaining wall.
However, Singson said there are still sections with limited lanes due to remaining fallen utility lines and debris.
The DPWH chief earlier said that 36 of the 138 road sections in Eastern Visayas were affected by the devastating typhoon, 30 of which are fully cleared with at least five (5) DPWH Regional Office pooling equipment and manpower resources to support and augment the Region 8 resources.
The opening of national roads in Eastern Visayas is necessary considering that the Tacloban City Airport is severely damaged that affects the operation.
Singson said that disaster relief efforts coming from Bicol to Tacloban could pass the Matnog RoRo-Allen-Catbalongan-San Juanico route while the Ormoc-Carigara-Palo-Tacloban and Ormoc-Baybay-Abuyog-Dulag-Tolosa-Palo-Tacloban routes are intended supply routes for those coming from Cebu to Ormoc and Leyte.
For the relief efforts going to Borongan and Guiuan, Eastern Samar, relief teams may either pass by the Catbalogan-Wright-Taft-San Julian-Borongan-Hernani-Guiuan or the Catbalogan-Basay-Marabut-Lawaan-Guiuan. (PNA)
FPV/JOSINE F. ESTUYE/UTB