TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) - - As typhoon 'Goring' maintains its strength and continuously approaches Luzon Strait, the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) of Cagayan Valley Region has recorded an increasing number of affected communities and families regionwide. 

Civil Defense Regional Director Leon DG. Rafael, council chair, said there were already 4,632 families with 15,538 individuals affected in 144 barangays.

"Of the number of affected families, 223 families with 587 individuals are currently staying inside the evacuation centers while 124 families with 351 individuals are staying with their relatives or friends," Rafael said.

He also reported that there were already barangay roads and bridges that are impassable due to floods and landslides. Some members of the local DRRM councils are now conducting clearing operations. 

Governor Manuel Mamba of Cagayan province declared suspension of classes at all levels today while the Department of Education suspended classes from pre-school to senior high school in some severely-affected municipalities in Isabela. 

Lucia S. Alan, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 2, said they have already provided assistance, particularly family food packs and sleeping kits amounting to P927,816 as augmentation for the affected families in Cagayan and Isabela.

She also said there are 28,000 food packs prepositioned in different warehouses in the region amounting to P17.95 million, which are ready to be distributed to affected families. 

"We are closely coordinating with the local government units with affected communities for relief operations in partnership with our uniformed personnel and rescue volunteers. We are also monitoring areas that are experiencing floods and landslides as we expect more evacuees to be assisted," Alan said. 

According to Michael Conag of the Office of the Civil Defense Region 2, they received reports that a house in Tuao, Cagayan has been totally-damaged while a flood control project in Baggao has been destroyed both by the typhoon.

"Technical officials of the Department of Agriculture Region 2 are now conducting damage assessment on agriculture sector in the region. All equipment and response assets are still on standby for utilization anytime," Conag said. 

He also said an aerial inspection is supposed to be conducted today through the Tactical Operations Group 2 air asset to determine the extent of the damage caused by the typhoon but due to the inclement weather, the team has been advised to wait for a good weather to proceed. 

In Batanes, the Ivatans have already placed window shutters and tied up the roofs of their houses to secure them as the island province is expected to be hit by the typhoon in the next few hours. (OTB/PIA Region 2)