DPWH suffers infrastructure damage

The Department of Public Works and Highways regional offices in Visayas and Mindanao on Monday reported infrastructure damage due to intense rainfall and flooding brought by the shear line on Christmas weekend.

The shear line is a weather condition where warm and cold air meet that leads to thicker cloud formation, battering provinces in Palawan, Eastern Visayas and northern parts of Mindanao.

In Eastern Visayas, the DPWH Region VIII reported landslides in Barangay San Miguel in Hernani, Eastern Samar on 24 December, with clearing operations on Christmas Eve went under way and was completed the following morning.

Flood, fallen trees and landslides have also been reported in portions of Arteche-Jipapad-Las Navas-Rawis Road, Wright-Taft National Road in Barangay Malinao, Taft and in a national road in Sabang Suribao, Borongan City, Eastern Samar. Infrastructure damage and difficulties in travel have also been reported in Northern Mindanao and the DPWH Region X said that clearing operations are still under way in five areas in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental and 14 in Misamis Occidental.

So far, the regional DPWH office said in a 26 December noontime report that most portions of the roads subjected to clearing operations are passable in one lane for light or heavy vehicles.

However, road portions are still not passable to all types of vehicles in Barangays Talic, Pines and Layawan in Oroquieta City and Barangay Palayan in Aloran.

DPWH in Region XIII also reported the closure of the Old Daywan Bridge in Claver, Surigao del Sur due to the scouring of the bridge approach, urging motorists to use the newer bridge beside the old one.