Isolated Benguet town rations rice to stave off hunger

Isolated Benguet town rations rice to stave off hunger
By Maurice Malanes
Inquirer Northern Luzon
First Posted 03:10:00 10/22/2009
Filed Under: Weather, Landslide, Disasters (general), Government Aid, Food

BAGUIO CITY—The upland town of Kibungan in Benguet province, which has been isolated since Oct. 9 because of Tropical Storm “Pepeng” (international codename: Parma), has resorted to rationing rice to stave off possible hunger as residents and officials double their time clearing landslides before Typhoon “Ramil” (Lupit) dumps heavy rains on Friday.

For the first time since the town’s isolation, officials and residents—after a six-hour grueling trip from Baguio—transported 200 cavans of rice via the Palina-Bakun-Ampusongan Road and Halsema Highway on Oct. 17 and 18.

Ironically, until the early 1980s, Kibungan (pop: 16,000) used to be self-sufficient in upland rice, which is augmented by sweet potato and other root crops.

The shorter Kibungan-Kapangan-Tublay Road, which is a four-hour drive, remains hardly accessible because of damaged bridges and road cuts, residents said.

The town government, which bought the rice supply, will ration (25 kilos per family) and retail the staple, said Loyda Macario of the Kibungan social welfare and development office.

“We hope this rice supply can tide us over even shortly after Typhoon Ramil,” Macario said in a text message. “We also hope other supplies will arrive for our various sari-sari (variety) stores.”

Macario said residents, with equipment provided by the Department of Public Works and Highways, were rushing the clearing of landslides in the towns of Kapangan and Tublay.

Through cooperative self-help, Kibungan residents cleared landslides from Barangay Poblacion up to Barangay Sagpat in the town’s border with Kapangan and along the road to Barangay Palina.

“But we are worried Ramil’s rains may again delay road repair works,” Macario said.
She said that for the first time airlifted relief goods arrived in Kibungan on Oct. 19 after Mayor Benito Siadto appealed for outside help.

Until now, residents continue to grope in the dark as evening comes because of power outage, Macario said, adding that municipal officials could charge their mobile phones through a generator at the municipal clinic.

Residents from Kibungan and Kapangan are hoping concerned agencies help them restore the vital Salacop Bridge in Balacbac, Kapangan, which tilted to its side during the last typhoon.