The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has raised the cost of damage to infrastructure and agriculture due to tropical storm ‘Sendong” to more than P400 million.
In his report to President Benigno Aquino, Provincial Governor Roel Degamo said damage to agriculture reached more than P37 million while damages to infrastructure raised to P388.5 million.
The damages also include major tourism sites of Negros Oriental such as Twin Lakes Balinsasayao and Danao in Sibulan town, which occurred massive landslides on the road from Kabalin-an Pond that caused the road impassable.
Assistant Provincial Tourism Officer Maritoni Mascardo said huge craters also resulted from big rock boulders that rolled down to the pond.
Twin Lakes is one of the major tourist attractions that lies peacefully in the mountain of southern Negros, a protected natural park and home of different species of animals, surrounded by rainforest and lush of tropical vegetation.
The entire therapeutic of Dauin Hot Spring including the pools is now covered with mud and sand and cottages were washed away by flashfloods, Mascardo said.
All areas of six river-fed pools up to the Pavilion of Forest Camp in Valencia had been covered with sands flushed from Casaroro Falls and Banica River. The spillway and swimming pool of Tejeros were totally damaged along the footbridge going to Barangay Apolong which is now impassable to residents and vehicles.
Mascardo also reported to PDRRMC that Mabinay Caves are not affected by the typhoon but its three footbridges constructed by local government were washed away.
After Degamo conducted an aerial survey a day after the typhoon on December 18to see the extent of damage brought by Sendong to affected areas, he asked government and private agencies to cooperate hand in hand to fast track in the rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the damage wrought by Sendong.