Northern Samar has declared a year-long state of calamity after Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong) tore through the province, displacing nearly 50,000 families and destroying key infrastructure and vital services.
The provincial government announced the declaration on Tuesday, November 18, following a special session on November 14 where the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s recommendation.
Governor Harris Ongchuan, who chairs the council, described the extended calamity period as necessary given the “scale of destruction Uwan left.”
A Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) placed total losses at P119.1 million and counted 49,327 families displaced by the typhoon.
The PDRRMO documented 22,306 partially damaged houses and 658 destroyed structures, which Ongchuan called an “urgent shelter concern.”
The declaration unlocks quick response funds and gives local governments expanded authority to fast-track relief, repair lifeline systems, and initiate long-term rehabilitation.
Ongchuan pressed agencies to move quickly, calling the response a “priority for displaced families.”
Under the approved resolution, the province will remain under a state of calamity for one year, allowing Northern Samar to sustain its recovery efforts and rebuild communities heavily affected by one of its most disruptive typhoons in recent years.
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.