CAGAYAN - Several towns in the southwest portion of Cagayan remain isolated Friday with roads blocked and communication lines still down due to the effects of typhoon "Lawin."
Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba said the towns of Tuao, Rizal, Piat, and Sto, Niño have yet to be reached even as members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are helping with the clearing operations.
"As far as clearing is concerned, wala pa kaming mahagilap na tao dahil lahata may kanya-kanyang concern pa dahil lahat kami ay apektado [As far as clearing is concerned, it's hard to ask people to help because they are still minding their own concerns. All of us are affected by the typhoon]," he said.
Mamba appealed to the national government and the private sector to help in restoring communication and power lines as soon as possible.
"Some areas here will not have access to clean water unless they have electricity," he said.
Despite the loss of power, classes have resumed in Cagayan as most evacuees have returned to their homes to deal with the aftermath of super typhoon "Lawin" (international name: Haima) considered as the strongest storm to hit the country this year.
Mamba said 50,000 to 60,000 hectares of rice fields were damaged by the typhoon and many homes, markets and regional centers totally destroyed.